'''Cambridgeshire'''[http://www3.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/] is a historic county in the East Anglia region of England, part the United Kingdom.

Cities, towns and villages

Cities

  • Cambridge - picturesque University city and Cambridgeshire's traditional county town
  • Ely - the cathedral city in the Fens
  • Peterborough - growing industrial centre and cathedral city
  • Towns

  • Huntingdon - home of Oliver Cromwell
  • March
  • St Ives
  • St Neots
  • Wisbech
  • Villages

  • Duxford - location of the aircraft collection of the Imperial War Museum and much more besides... Air Shows!
  • Grantchester - the English village south of Cambridge made famous by war poet Rupert Brooke
  • Little Gidding Tiny village between Cambridge and Peterborough, made famous by TS Eliot and Nicholas Ferrar
  • Understand

    For centuries much of the north east of the region was inaccessible marshland, until a programme of drainage assisted by Dutch engineers transformed the Fens into the country's most fertile farmland, leaving the landscape crisscrossed by canals and dotted with windmills.

    The major population centres today remain concentrated in the south and west of Cambridgeshire, with the north and east of the region remains a bleak, empty landscape.

    Talk

    Cambridgeshire residents speak in the standard form of English common across South East England, and there should be little difficulty for English speakers in understanding them. Contrary to popular belief, most locals do not speak in the distinctive upper-class accents common amongst Cambridge University students.

    Get in

    Train

    St Neots, Huntingdon and Peterborough sit on the East Coast Main line between London and the north. Express trains stop at Peterborough only. Cambridge is served by a separate line.

    Cross country services serve Peterborough, the county's main rail junction

    Car

    The M11 from London terminates at Cambridge.

    Get around

    The region is well linked by rural bus services.

    See

    The region's chief attraction is the splendid architecture and attractive riverfront of the historic city of Cambridge. Further afield, attractions include:
  • '''Imperial War Museum Duxford''', [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk]. Daily except for 24-26 December, summer (19 March - 29 October) 10am-6pm, winter 10am-4pm, last admission 45 mins before closing, admission adults __12, seniors and students __9, disabled __8, other concessions __7 - group concessions available, free admission for children 15yrs and younger. Parking is free. "Europe's premier aviation museum."
  • Wicken Fen. ode Lane, Wicken, Ely, CB7 5XP. +44) (0)1353 720274. ww.wicken.org.uk. One of the few remaining areas of the region's former marshland, preserved today as a Nature Reserve of international significance
  • Wimpole Hall and Home Farm. impole Estate, Arrington, Royston, Cambridgeshire, SG8 0BW. elephone: (01223) 206000. ttp://www.wimpole.org/. 200 year old working farm and historic country house. See rare breeds of sheep, historic farming methods in use today, and wander through the landscaped country park. Particularly popular during the March/April lambing time.

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    Do

  • Punting on the River Cam in Cambridge
  • Eat

    Cambridgeshire isn't known for it's food specialities. Traditional English roasts are served in attractive country pubs throughout the region. Cambridge offers the widest range of restaraunts to choose from, whilst Peterborough is the place to head for Italian.

    Drink

    The regions small towns and villages offer a particularly fine range of country pubs, many of which serve a good range of real ales. Most of the "local" beer served in the region comes from the Charles Wells brewery in Bedfordshire and Greene King brewery in Suffolk - you will see these names on pub signs everywhere in the region.

    Stay safe

    Cambridgeshire is a quiet and fairly prosperous region presenting relatively few hazards to the traveller. See the England section for more general safety tips.

    Get out

  • Take the train to London
  • Head for the horse racing at Newmarket