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Indie Sheffield visits Cambridge

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The End House bed & breakfast, Cambridge, UK

The End House Bed & Breakfast, Cambridge, UK

Where to stay: The End House
As with most cities there are lots of choices for places to stay from hostels, B&B’s and hotels. Cambridge is not a cheap place to stay the night especially within walking distance of the city centre but we found The End House. Mostly swung by the amazing Trip Advisor reviews and the photos of the stunning rooms and it didn’t disappoint. Set next to a nature reserve, we awoke to the sound of songbirds and it felt like the city was a million miles away. We stayed in the Blue room, which had a huge on suite bathroom with the best shower I have ever been in. The breakfasts are locally sourced and collected by the owner fresh every morning and they know how to make a mean smoothy.
The End House, 53 Owlstone Road, CB3 9JH

Sticky Beaks, Cambridge, UK

Sticky Beaks, Cambridge, UK

Where to eat: Sticky Beaks
We finally figured our way around Cambridge and settled in to Sticky Beaks for lunch. This place was constantly busy and yet the atmosphere remained laid back and calm (a bit like Marmadukes, Tamper or Fusion). There was a visual array of salads; cakes and quiches plus you could watch all the food being prepared and the buns coming out of the oven!
Sticky Beaks, 42 Hobson Street, CB1 3NL

Zhonghua Traditional Snacks, Cambridge, UK

Zhonghua Traditional Snacks, Cambridge, UK

Zhonghua Traditional Snacks
We were warned by the owner of the B&B that eating out and avoiding chain restaurants is a real challenge in Cambridge. We had done some research into indie places to eat so we weren’t completely lost and after reading about Zhonghua Traditional Snacks we were desperate to go. This place is reminiscent of a place called Tin Po Café that use to be on London Road mixed with our beloved Jabu. Pretty basic set up but the most delicious DUMPLINGS we have had in ages! We are quite obsessed with dumplings so we were in heaven, the soup and noodles went down well too but it was the dumplings that won our hearts and bellies.
Zhonghua Traditional Snacks, 13 Norfolk Street, CB1 2LD

Fitzbillies, Cambridge, CB2 1RG

Fitzbillies, Cambridge, CB2 1RG

Other indies worth a visit:
Fitzbillies: 51-52 Trumpington Street, CB2 1RG – Beautiful art nouveau shop/cafe first opened in 1922. Its afternoon tea isn’t cheap (£18 a head) but if you’re going to treat yourself it should be here.
Kingston Arms: 33 Kingston Street, CB1 2NU – We didn’t manage to get to the Kingston Arms which was a real shame after reading about its award winning food. There’s always next time!

Magdalene Street, Cambridge, UK

Magdalene Street, Cambridge, UK

Where to shop: Ark
As with the lack of indie restaurants there is a surprisingly low number of indie shops, this is not to say there isn’t a large choice of shops (including a new large indoor mall) but we were surprised by how few independent shops were in the city centre. Ark is a fun, cute shop selling a variety of gifts, cards and novelty items. Set out over two floors with a spiral staircase leading you upstairs it feels cosy and truly unique.
Ark, 2 St Marys casino online Passage, CB2 3PQ

Nord
If you’re a fan of Scandinavian design then this is the place. It reminded me of a shop called Form that use to be in the West One complex in Sheffield. They stock a wide range of designers such as  Artek, Marimekko (including bolts of their fabric) and Iitala. They also have a lovely café showcasing their range of furniture and crockery so you can try before you buy!
Nord, 5-7 Sussex Street, CB1 1PA

The Cambridge Satchel Company
A true success story and still based in Cambridge, The Cambridge Satchel Company began when a mum and her mum started a business after noticing a lack of well made leather satchels. Six years later they have a multi million pound business and make a stunning array of colourful bags of all sizes. They aren’t cheap but a bag like this is for life.
The Cambridge Satchel Company, 17 Rose Crescent, Cambridge, CB2 3LL

Punts on the river, Cambridge, UK

Punts on the river, Cambridge, UK

How to get around – BIKES BIKES BIKES – Cambridge feels like the land of the free when it comes to cycling. Not like your usual lycra clad Sheffield bikers, they ride with such gusto that it feels like they are on some great Enid Blyton adventure.

There are quite a few places to hire bikes including City Cycle Hire, Station Cycles and the Cambridge Cycle Hire. Cambridge County Council has produced a downloadable cycling map, which you can download here.

If we had had more time we definitely would have booked a tour with the Cambridge Bike Tours. They have a great choice in bikes including vintage bike hire and electric bikes if you don’t fancy the exercise at an additional £10 charge.

Paradise Nature Reserve, Cambridge, UK

Paradise Nature Reserve, Cambridge, UK

Where to go – We didn’t actually go inside anywhere as the weather was amazing and just walking around the city was a wonder in itself. We spent most of our day near Kings Parade walking around and getting lost amongst the various universities. Some charge for walking over their bridge but we stumbled upon one which we think was Clare College bridge and it was free. Everywhere in this area is like living in a picture book (or on the set of a Harry Potter) the cool river with the punting tours gliding past, the blossom on the trees and the stunning architecture. We were very glad to be there in the spring.

Parks – We were amazed by how much of the countryside encroached onto the city. From walking across the fens to reach our B&B to walking across Clare’s College bridge straight into a large park there are green spaces at nearly every turn.

Recommendations
We asked our lovely Twitter followers for suggestions of things to do and see:

Orchard Tea Garden recommended by Natasha Lyons  @natashalyons
This place looks gorgeous but unfortunately we couldn’t visit this time. A little further out from the city centre, Orchard Tea Garden is within walking or cycling distance riding through the beautiful Grantchester Meadows. Once you arrive you can enjoy a light lunch or an afternoon tea beneath the orchard trees.
Orchard Tea Garden, 45 – 47 Mill Way, Grantchester, Cambridge CB3 9ND

Punting recommended by Nether Greens @nethergreens
We didn’t take up the lovely recommendation of punting down the river but that shouldn’t put you off. There’s a huge amount of established punting companies and so many options from shared tours, private tours, hen parties or if you’re brave enough you could hire your very own boat for the day from Scudamores.

You can book in advance via their websites or you could hold out and decide on the day but here are few suggestions: Cambridge Blue Punting, Cambridge River Tours, Scudamores or Cambridge Punt Co prices range from £12 for a shared tour to £100 for your own boat for the day.

There are a lot of signs about signs

There are a lot of signs about signs


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