Wren to Waterhouse: A Self-Guided Cambridge Tour

Overview

Cambridge's architecture tells the story of centuries of academic ambition, religious upheaval, and civic pride. On this walking tour, you'll trace the city's built environment through its Gothic Revival churches, neoclassical colleges, and Victorian civic buildings, discovering how scholars, aristocrats, and even a French ballet dancer shaped what you see today. Starting outside the 1720s Senate House, you'll pass King's College's whimsical Gothic Revival gatehouse, enter Pembroke College — home to Christopher Wren's earliest completed building — and reach the monumental Fitzwilliam Museum, whose marble interior features caryatids copied from the Acropolis. Along the way, hear the story of Hobson's Conduit, named after the man who gave English the phrase Hobson's Choice. The tour ends at the Guildhall, where a close look at the brickwork reveals an unexpected consequence of the Second World War.