When you reach Magdalene Bridge, look downstream with Magdalene College on your left and Quayside on the right bank. Magdalene is pronounced ‘Maudleyn’, a fine piece of vanity that recalls Lord Audley of Walden, Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, who re-founded the college in 1542.

Look up at the imposing stone tower, which houses the bells that have rung out every day for hundreds of years. For a small fee, you can ascend the staircase within the tower and take in sweeping views of the Historical Colleges. We will visit a couple of these later on our walking tour of Cambridge. Silver Street also marks the southern edge of the former King’s Ditch. This was the boundary of the medieval town which ran from the Cam near Magdalene College, across the modern city centre towards the river. The King’s Ditch was chiefly built during the 13th century, in the long reign of Henry III. It ensured that travelling traders heading for Cambridge’s markets had to pay tolls when they passed through the gates.

City Loop

Flower meadows, meandering riverside pathways, charming settlements of thatched cottages and historic churches, this flat five-mile walk has it all. Take time to explore the handsome market town of St Ives with its narrow streets and olde world pubs. Stop by at the Norris Museum to find out about the local history of the Great Ouse Valley and the town. In March, the woodlands, meadows, and marshlands of Castor Hanglands near Peterborough are literally awash with frogs and toads. Up to two thousand amphibians inhabit the reserve, the ponds filled first with clumps of frogspawn, followed by tadpoles then fully-formed adults. It’s sometimes difficult not to tread on them as you wander along the reserve’s pathways, particularly during a wet spell. Cross Hemingford Meadow to Meadow Lane. Continue to a fork in the road, then follow the fingerpost to take a path that skirts the edge of Hemingford Grey (another Love Lane). Turn right on to Church Street and follow the path along the boundary of the graveyard to the River Great Ouse. You have now reached one of the most iconic vistas in Cambridge. Immediately to your right is the early 18th century Senate House, the official centre of the University. Next to it are the Old Schools, where an 18th century facade masks the medieval buildings that housed the first university administration and library. Beyond them is the glorious panorama of King’s College, usually besieged by throngs of tourists along King’s Parade. Before you venture to join them, take a minute to look at the church to your left.

Wandlebury has 8 miles of footpaths to explore wildflower meadows, woodlands, orchards and Iron-Age ditches. The paths are mostly flat and without barriers but only a short section near the car park is surfaced.This is a long but delightful walk across country lanes to Bottisham Lode Pumping Station, then along the River Cam. Expect wide vistas over the flat fens and big skies, riverside moorings, inviting pubs, and sleepy Cambridgeshire villages. The first stop on our walking tour of Cambridge UK is the Round Church, also known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Round Church was built by crusaders in the 12th century and is one of the oldest landmarks in Cambridge.

Built in 1967, the ‘Grad Pad’ makes no concessions to its setting on the historic Mill Pool. What is your reaction to its ‘brutalist’ architecture, in terms of both size and materials? One disgruntled long time Cambridge resident has described it as ‘a perfect example of a building in the wrong place’!Sun 3 Dec, 1.30-3.30pm at Cambridge Leper Chapel. Your chance to see inside one of Cambridge’s oldest buildings which is not usually open to the public. So, do you feel like getting outdoors? Whether you want to go for a run, let the dog blow off some steam, have a leisurely family stroll or push yourself with a challenging uphill hike, there’s something for everyone in and around Cambridge. Book a local tour. Enjoy a beautiful guided punting tour on river Cam which will float you behind all the historical colleges and give you a unique perspective of the town. You can also join this beautifully led historical walking tour of Cambridge. Locally led, this tour will take you to the colleges including a visit to beautiful King’s College.

It could so easily have been destroyed for redevelopment but a visionary refurbishment has given it new life. An ingenious adaptation of the previous corridors and wards was combined with a colourful approach to interior and exterior decoration, producing a distinctive post-modern appearance. Whether you think the 1990s development sits comfortably here or you find its pinks and greens jarring, the Judge Business School certainly makes an impact. The church has a close relationship with Cambridge University – in fact, it is still required that undergraduate students live within three miles of the church. Inside, enjoy the quiet atmosphere under wooden beamed ceilings and learn about the church’s two impressive organs. A huge shopping centre was originally proposed here in the 1950s to modernise Cambridge’s retail facilities. It was reduced in size following protests and a planning enquiry. Even so, demolitions in the 1960s flattened an enclave of timber framed buildings and narrow yards, including the Red Lion Inn – hence the name Lion Yard. The 1970s shopping centre, refurbished in 1999, replaced a thriving district of discos, clubs, cafes, restaurants, small offices and independent shops. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Round Church, is a Norman church with a circular nave, the oldest of only five such churches in the UK.Silver Street’s medieval name was ‘Smallebriggestrate’ – Small Bridge Street – to distinguish it from Bridge Street at Magdalene College. The two riverside pubs - The Anchor and The Mill - give you a clue as to what this area was used for. The bridge overlooks the Mill Pool, where corn and flour were loaded onto barges from the bustling medieval wharves beside the mill. Your walk has taken you through the city centre, illustrating many of Cambridge’s architectural glories and the prevailing sense of history conferred by the University. At the same time you will have been aware of the obvious threats to this precious environment: the intrusion of traffic on a medieval street plan, vehicle noise and pollution, the weight of tourist numbers in ‘honey pot’ locations, the commercial pressures for inappropriate building developments. Where the Hereward Way meets the Old Great North Road (less romantically known as the B1081), follow the road down towards Stamford, turning left into First Drill Lane and right over a stile to drop through fields into town. Head for the George Hotel for lunch, a historic coaching inn with opulent rooms, and a gorgeous leafy courtyard. There are several miles of walks at this reserve on the western edge of Cambridge. We have four waymarked trails: