City Centre (North) Attractions and Things to Do

The River Cam flows through the heart of Cambridge and after the University is the city's main attraction. Punting on the River is a must do for visitors and the quantity of touts plying for trade in the summer can prove overwhelming. The River can be split into three - north (downstream), the Backs and south (upstream).

Christ's College was first established as God's House in 1437 by William Byngham, a London parish priest, for training grammar school masters. Shortly after receiving its Royal Licence from Henry VI in 1446, God's House was forced to move from its original site as this was needed for the King's new project, King's College.

Situated to the north of the city centre, Jesus Green is bordered by the River Cam, Victoria Avenue and Jesus College. Divided by avenues of London Plane and horse chestnut trees, it is primarily an area of open parkland grass, offering informal and formal outdoor sports and riverbank walks.

The College of St Mary Magdalene is located beside the bridge on the River Cam, from which the city takes its name. The College has its origins in the year 1428 when King Henry VI approved the establishment of a hostel on the site for Benedictine monks coming from their abbey monasteries in the Fenland to study Canon Law.

Christ's Pieces is situated in the centre of the city, bordered by the bus station, Christ's College, Emmanuel Road and King Street. It is of typical Victorian park design with tree-lined avenues. The formal seasonal bedding displays planted in the 'petal beds' near Emmanuel Road, provide year-round colour.

The Round Church is a historic former church in Cambridge. The round part of the church was built in about 1130 by the ‘fraternity of the Holy Sepulchre’. They were influenced by the Round Church in Jerusalem called the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th century.

Today Jesus College is one of the larger colleges in Cambridge, but until the late 19th century it was one of the smallest and poorest. The College has an impressive permanent collection, including outdoor sculptures which are free to view.

Emmanuel College is one of the larger colleges of the University of Cambridge, embracing a community of around 650 students. The main college site occupies extensive grounds, sited in the centre of Cambridge and providing an environment for learning and living that is both beautiful and peaceful.