Hidden Gem: Grantchester Meadows, Cambridge

By Jamie Williams

An afternoon stroll through Grantchester Meadows on the outskirts of Cambridge offers everything that you could expect from a British village.  

I recommend you begin with an afternoon tea at the Orchard Tea Rooms. Its deck chairs are famous for housing some of Britain’s best poets over the centuries. Rupert Brooke, for one, was known to have spent many hours there, and wrote “The Old Vicarage, Grantchester” based on his experiences. For the fear of not being able to sound any more British, nothing quite beats one of their scones on an empty stomach. 

Once you are refuelled, follow the meandering riverbanks, which make up a two mile walk into the centre of Cambridge. The boardwalk through a marsh woodland is stunning. You will observe punting boats fighting over the narrow river. If you are lucky you may even witness an arrogant “wanna-be” punter trying to impress his date, completely miscalculating the complexity of the sport and falling in. A comedy sketch in the making. 

If you feel adventurous, there are also a range of wild swimming opportunities. Wild swimmers are known to travel from across the East of England for a dip. I would take the opportunity whilst you can in what I’m sure will be an Indian summer in the coming weeks.

On a Sunday afternoon, the voices of cricket matches can be heard in the distance as Cambridge University students compete over the beautiful game. I could not think of anywhere I have been that is more British. 

Ok, I will be honest with you. Perhaps Grantchester Meadows are not so ‘hidden’. Pink Floyd sang the “watercolour of Grantchester Meadows” based on a poem of the same name. There is a reason songs and poems have been written about this spot. Because it’s beautiful. If you ever visit Cambridge, don’t give it a miss.