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Great Places To Live: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Posted 10 December 2019 by Katie Sakka

The WhatHouse? team reports on our current favourite location – today, we pick the City of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire.

Located on the River Cam in Cambridgeshire in the East of England, is the historic City of Cambridge. Rich in history and outstanding architecture, Cambridge is a perfect blend of classical and contemporary. An ancient city, which has been inhabited for over 3,500 years, Cambridge has seen settlements from the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings over its long history. Covering an area of 40.7km2, the city is surrounded by quaint villages and market towns, as well as being a short distance from Cambridgeshire’s two other cities, Ely and Peterborough, both known for their impressive medieval cathedrals. To the north of the city, covering an area of 200 square miles lie the Cambridgeshire Fens, renowned for their wildlife and natural beauty - an ideal place for walking, cycling, and water-based activities.

 

Snaking its way through the city is the River Cam, a delightful place for summertime enjoyment conjuring up images of punting, straw boaters and summer-time picnics. Many high street shops and designer brands can be found in the city’s shopping centers, but for those looking for a little something different, exploring the cobbled streets and alleyways, venturing into tiny book shops and overstuffed antique shops is a wonderfully quaint experience. There is a vibrant market in Market Square 7 days a week from 10am until 4pm. Every Sunday the square hosts a flourishing local food, arts, and crafts market, selling organic produce from local farmers and work from some of the region's artists and craftsmen.

 

For those looking for a little more adventure, there are plenty of things to do besides shopping. There are several stately homes in the area, Cambridge University Botanic Garden, museums, parks, nature reserves, galleries, several golf courses and live events such as the summertime Strawberry Fair on Midsummer Common or the Mill Road Winter Fair on Mill Road.

 

Nightlife in Cambridge is vibrant with eateries ranging from Michelin-starred restaurants (The Midsummer) to good old fashioned English pubs (The Anchor Pub, The Clarendon Arms). There are nightclubs and bars, theatres with a range of performances on offer and Cambridge Corn Exchange featuring a choice of entertainment, from comedy and music to ballet and classical concerts. Cambridge Junction also has a regular line up of famous names and boasts a packed programme of club nights, comedy, theatre, and dance performances. 

 

Founded in 1209, Cambridge University put Cambridge on the map as THE place to receive a first-class education. Some of the University’s most notable alumni include Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Sir David Attenborough, and Stephen Hawking. Even the current Queen went there...Olivia Coleman! It’s not just the university providing a top of the line education though. There are many exceptional schools in and around Cambridge.

 

Primary Fawcett Primary School, Newnham Croft Primary School, Colville Primary School, Queen Edith Community Primary School, The Spinney Primary School, St Albans Catholic Primary School, St. Matthews Primary School.

Independent, Prep & Boarding Schools St faith’s (Independent school for boys and girls aged 4-13 years), The Leys School (co-educational boarding and day school), Stephen Perse Foundation (Independent schools ages 1-18 years), St Mary’s School, Cambridge (an independent Christian school run in the Catholic tradition, offering day and boarding provision for girls aged four to eighteen), Heritage School, Cambridge (mixed independent day school for pupils aged 4–16), King’s College School, Cambridge (coeducational independent preparatory school), St John’s College School (co-educational preparatory school ages 4-13), St Andrews College (mixed independent school and sixth form college located over two sites), Sancton Wood School (a mixed independent day school for children aged 1 to 16), The Perse School (an independent co-educational school for boys and girls ages 3-18).

Secondary Schools & 6th Form Colleges The Netherhall School and The Oakes College (a mixed secondary school and sixth form), CCSS Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies (independent sixth-form college offering high-quality one and two year GCSE and A-Level courses), Saint Bede’s Inter-Church School (Christian state secondary school), Cambridge Academy for Science & Technology (specialist science academy, for young people aged 13-19), Linton Village College (secondary school), Cambourne Village College (secondary school), Bottisham Village college 9secondary school), Comberton Village College (academy ages 11-18), Swavesey Village College (academy ages 11-16), Parkside community College (academy ages 11-19).

 

Travelling in and around the City there are many options open to you for getting about. Besides walking, which we cannot recommend highly enough to take in the beauty of the City, Cambridge is well known for its biking culture. It’s an easy way to get around the city with special cycling lanes, a provision of many bike racks and most importantly, careful and considerate car drivers that bear no resemblance to the drivers of say, London. There are also several bus services in and around the City. The M11 motorway or the A10 south offers a direct route into London, the A10 north leading to Ely and King’s Lynn. For those commuting to London, there are several train lines with direct links to London King’s Cross, London Liverpool Street, and St Pancras.

 

Homes of the Week 

Plot 64, Shrewsbury, a 2 bedroom second floor apartment with private balcony access priced at £406,995. Save £11,000 - was £441,995 NOW £406,995. Includes upgraded kitchen and flooring worth £6,400 The Shrewsbury is an ultra modern two bedroom apartment. The open plan kitchen/living/dining area is filled with light from floor to ceiling windows and access leading onto the balcony. The master bedroom includes an en suite shower room and fitted wardrobe. Across the hall is the second bedroom and the bathroom. This property also includes an allocated parking space. From Barratt Homes.

 

Plot 117, Rothbury, a 4 bedroom house priced from £540,995. Includes an upgraded kitchen worth over £4,000 and flooring worth over £13,500. Ready to Move into. Part Exchange available. The Rothbury is an exclusive four-bedroom home featuring an open-plan kitchen with dining/family areas and French doors leading out to the fully turfed rear garden. A spacious living room, a utility room and a study complete the ground floor, a perfect workspace for everyone. The first floor boasts an impressive master bedroom with dressing area and en suite, three further double bedrooms, including an en suite shower room to bedroom 2 and a family bathroom. This home also comes with a double garage with two parking spaces. From Barratt Homes.

 
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