• Market Square - What led to Cambridge becoming a town? What role did the market play in its development? How was the market organized during medieval times?
• Great St Mary’s Church (Church of England) - Once known as St-Mary’s-by-the-market, now the renowned University Church, what is the history of this building and the arrival of scholars in Cambridge?
• Sidney Sussex College - Monks, monasteries, the Reformation, regicide, and a few beheadings… what’s not to love?

[no access to college - we are old townspeople after all]

• St. Clement’s Church - The site of the earliest church in Cambridge, dedicated to the patron saint of sailors?

[outside only]

• Jesus Green - Common land, enclosure, the arrival and kingdom of the East Angles, fairs - who or what defined the borders of the old town and what occurred beyond them?

[also toilet and rest break]

• Magdalene Bridge - Why is the town called Cambridge? And the Vikings!
• St. John’s College - Cambridge becomes part of the new Kingdom of England. The Normans arrive. The Round Church is constructed. The medieval public hospital and monks irritating other monks.

[Not entering the college or church - just observing from outside like the common townspeople we are]

• Cambridge University Press Bookshop - Old bookshops and the right to print, Dr. Caius’s peculiar requests, the Senate House, the struggle for space, and some interesting facts about King’s College Chapel.
• St Bene’t’s Church (Church of England) - The oldest building, the Angles again, Corpus Christi College, the secret of life, the Eagle pub, the end of the old town, and back out into the city.

[No entry to buildings - all outside]

• Guided walking tour of the historic town/city centre of Cambridge
• Historical facts and humour shared during the tour
• A copy of a 500-year-old map to help navigate the Old Town of Cambridge

• Admission fees

Embark on a unique walking tour through historic Cambridge and explore the Town and colleges from the perspective of its residents over the centuries, right up to the present day.

Utilizing a 500-year-old map, intriguing facts, and a generous dose of humor, this tour will guide you through the historic Town and 2000 years of history to the modern City we know today.

Expect to encounter: Anglo-Saxons, Fires, Beheadings, Vikings, Normans, Town vs Gown drama, Fairs, Kings, Queens, Common Land, Churches, Charters, Chancellors, Monks, Mayors, Markets, and even a possible grave robbery.

For newcomers to Cambridge, this tour offers an understanding of the Town’s story in a way that most visitors never experience. Even those familiar with Cambridge might find themselves surprised.

Additionally, this tour is organized by a local social enterprise dedicated to promoting Cambridge’s history, culture, and sustainable tourism. The exceptional Experience Leaders are local individuals with firsthand experience of exclusion, particularly homelessness, in Cambridge.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.