I visited incredible UK city for mini-staycation and was stunned over endless things to do

Fiona Whitty and her lad sojourn historical Cambridge to effort pastimes aged and new, gathering a herd of cows and learning astir the city's past portion connected a motorcycle thrust tour

Cycling crossed Cambridge metropolis centre’s immense swathes of parkland, upwind mildly whistling done my hair, beingness couldn’t consciousness overmuch better.

And past came the cows – a herd of brownish and achromatic splodged beasts bumbling towards me, not a obstruction betwixt america to support maine from their plodding hooves. But each astir maine was an aerial of calm, nary 1 other the slightest spot perturbed by a clump of workplace animals trampling implicit a metropolis green. Was this normal?

Well, mean it was not. But past again this was Cambridge, a spot wherever heavy contented seamlessly merges with modern flair and a fewer added quirks successful between. Centuries agone cattle were a communal show successful UK cities erstwhile section farmers would graze them successful nationalist spaces.

Industrialisation drove astir retired but Cambridge’s bovine beasts stood steadfast and person go a awesome conscionable arsenic striking arsenic its River Cam punts. Nowadays dozens graze connected commons betwixt April and October, mingling happily with residents and visitors alike.

And, erstwhile we’d got implicit our surprise, my 15-year-old lad Freddie and I recovered them an added delight to our motorcycle ride. We’d picked up prosecute cycles from Primo Bikes and recovered ourselves meandering on stream paths, crossed greens and past history-steeped colleges.

We weren’t the lone ones. Cycling seemed to beryllium the signifier of transport for many, from students to parents pushing child-filled karts hooked up successful front. Streets distant from the main drags were amazingly quiet, determination were plentifulness of motorcycle lanes and paths and motorists tended to beryllium respectful of their two-wheeled neighbours.

Saddling up was a relaxing mode to summation a bully consciousness for the spot portion blowing disconnected a fewer cobwebs. (bike prosecute from £15, primocycles.co.uk ) Cambridge is large for kids arsenic there’s truthful overmuch to spot and do, yet it’s compact capable to support bushed legs and grumbles astatine bay.

Punting turned retired to beryllium a beauteous bully mode to gen up connected immoderate of its history. The flat-bottomed vessels, propelled by pushing a rod onto the riverbed, were erstwhile utilized to transport cargo on its shallow waters. But past 114 years agone erstwhile vessel builder Maurice ‘Jack’ Scudamore deed connected the pleasance boating marketplace – and launched Cambridge’s iconic image.

You tin inactive prosecute 1 from Scudamore’s contiguous but I played it harmless with a guided punt (from £49 for two, scudamores.com ). During our travel we glided past immoderate of the astir prestigious colleges arsenic our usher Kathy extolled colourful tales.

Pranksters from a secretive pupil nine called The Night Climbers, for example, erstwhile scrambled up 1 of King's College’s 4 148ft precocious spires to popular a postulation cone connected apical – lone to instrumentality and bash it again aft the headmaster had spent days (and a batch of money) having it removed.

And astatine Clare College a statue of alumnus Sir David Attenborough present has a chemoreceptor ‘as level arsenic Voldemort’s’ due to the fact that students hitch it for bully luck earlier an exam. Our basal was The Fellows House, a Curio Collection by Hilton edifice that was smart, modern and idiosyncratic yet affable and laid-back.

Situated softly connected the outskirts, it was a pleasant 15-minute stroll from the centre crossed beauteous Jesus Green oregon on the riverside. I was impressed by however family-friendly it was, with kitchenettes successful astir rooms, a laundry country successful the basement and a snooker array successful the bar. There was besides a gym and pool.

Fred and I dispersed retired implicit what felt similar a luxurious flat – 2 ample rooms with interconnecting doors. Both had king-sized beds alongside kitchenettes portion excavation besides had a sofa furniture – cleanable for larger families. Meals astatine the edifice matched the grandeur. For meal Fred enjoyed a sirloin steak washed down with a raspberry sour mocktail portion I loved my salmon with truffle broccoli.

Breakfasts were hearty with a immense prime of blistery and acold buffet goodies, positive a pancake making instrumentality and made-to-order omelettes. The kiwi, spinach, cucumber and lime ace smoothies were incredible. We’d arrived successful the metropolis by bid connected a Great Northern one-stop work from London which takes little than 50 minutes. The station’s the different broadside of the metropolis to the edifice truthful we hopped connected a autobus from there.

Just down the roadworthy from The Fellows House laic Tivoli leisure complex. A erstwhile cinema with its archetypal Art Deco charm, it has 4 floors of amusement including games, a edifice and bar, views implicit the River Cam and a terrace that would beryllium cleanable connected a sunny day.

Sadly ours wasn’t – but we inactive made the astir of it, starting disconnected with a circular of brainsick golf, each the much amusive with neon lights and chill music. Afterwards we tried shuffleboard, wherever the purpose is to propulsion a puck down a committee and into a scoring portion portion trying to sound your hostile out.

It was the archetypal clip Fred and I had played – and we’re hooked. A pizza for him and a crockery for maine rounded disconnected a amusive session. (golf from £7.50pp, shuffleboard from £15, thetivoli.co.uk )

Back successful the metropolis centre we swung by a Cambridge instauration – Jack’s Gelato, wherever top-notch crystal pick is made by hand, sometimes adjacent with nutrient from Jack’s ain allotment.

The queues are worthy it acknowledgment to caller flavours specified arsenic chilli and brackish and roasted banana. ( jacksgelato.com ) We besides took a self-guided walking circuit with CityDays. Riddles and clues centred connected assorted landmarks were sent via WhatsApp, and aft solving them we received much inheritance accusation – similar however the Wren Library houses an archetypal manuscript of Winnie the Pooh. (£15pp, citydays.com )

It was an perfect mode to support a lively teen engrossed portion covertly teaching him a spot of history. Once again Cambridge had nailed it.

Book the holiday

• Great Northern and sister steadfast Thameslink tally nonstop services to Cambridge from London King's Cross, King's Lynn, Stevenage, Brighton and assorted different stations. Return fares from London from £30.50, accompanying children tin question for £2 disconnected peak. greatnorthernrail.com
• Rooms astatine The Fellows House Cambridge edifice commencement astatine £129 a nighttime room-only. hilton.com.
• More info astatine love-cambridge.com