History of Cambridge

Cambridge is most famous for its historic university, but the citys past goes back much further than that.

The first settlers

The original settlement was located on Castle Hill, north of the river. Evidence of pre-Roman activity has been found in the area, but it was the Romans who built the first town. It was a well-located crossing point of the river Cam, on the border of the swampy marshland. The town was a port, as it was the start of the navigation of what was then known as the River Granta. Today the area around Magdalene Bridge is still known as Quayside. After the Romans, others came and went. Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Normans are all remembered in the names of the local parishes. The town centre moved south to where the market is today. With a population of around 1,600 in the 11th century, Cambridge was one of the largest towns in eastern England.

The students come

In the early 13th century, riots in Oxford and Paris resulted in many of these cities scholars fleeing in fear for their lives. For various reasons, many made their way to Cambridge. The majority of these students were young men in their early teens. They would meet in groups for lectures in grammar, logic and rhetoric, all taught in Latin. Peterhouse, the first college, was established in 1284. From then on, a range of colleges were founded in Cambridge. Henry VIII took away control of the university colleges from the religious bodies which had formerly controlled them.

Water and trains

In 1614, Cambridge was in need of a new water supply. Thomas Hobson constructed a causeway channelling water from the springs at Nine Wells into Cambridge city centre. The canals can still be seen running along Trumpington Street, even though the canal head has been moved from the market place to the corner of Lensfield Road. No colleges were founded from 1594 to 1800, and this was a period of decline both for the university and the town. In late Victorian times, however, a number of colleges were established, including the first womens colleges (degrees, though, were not granted to women until 1948). The railway arrived in 1845, but was resisted by the university authorities. This meant the end for the riverside wharves. With the river empty, punting developed into a popular afternoon pursuit, and still is today. In 1951, King George VI awarded Cambridge city status, which it already was in all but name.

Cambridge is home to some striking modern architecture. Twentieth century growth has been to the north, east and south, although the size of the city has not grown for some time as a result of planning restrictions.