Further to the bizarre post, on St Catharine’s College obsessions, I’m back from my one night stay there and blitz of other colleges - well, those I could get into, at a sane price.
I went to Cambridge for undergrad, then Oxford for post. Both are beautiful in their own way. But the less obvious advantage of Cambridge is that as a student you see far more of everything than Oxford: eg you cross Kings to get to lectures, go over the Backs to the Library, walk through Trinity Great Court to get to the shops, etc. And the punting is much better: through the centre of town for the lower river, past the Colleges and under the Bridge of Sighs (often from your own college if you are on the river). The upper river through Grantchester Meadows is also stunning on a warm summer’s day or evening. In Oxford the colleges are more closed off, so you just end up seeing less of them. And the punting is more remote.
Interesting points. I think the punting at Cambridge is better to see the colleges, for sure. But the Cam seemed like a traffic jam for punts, as a result. Maybe it's quieter in term time. But, working as a tour guide now, I'd say that both cities are being harmed by over-tourism, but King's Parade seems worse than either the High Street or Broad Street.
As you say, the punting at Oxford is more remote. Much more peaceful.
Oxford is much more a secretive city, and unless you go into colleges, you miss a huge part.
Your knowledge is much more current than mine. I was there many years ago, before over-tourism was an issue. I have been back since, but not frequently.
All the same: as a life experience, there are probably not many to beat a picnic party on two or three punts, on a warm summer evening, on Grantchester meadows.
Sounds superb! I'd love to swim in the Cam - I do it in the Thames near Oxford all the time, but upstream. But the Cam is much cleaner - surprised not to see people swimming. In fact, I almost took a dip!
Again, I may be out of date, but I can’t recommend swimming in the Cam - it used to be well known for giving you Cam Fever. But maybe it is cleaner now!
Thanks Paul for your descriptive tour of Cambridge University colleges.
Some would say the birthplace of Monty Python with Cleese, Chapman and Idle treading the footlights and the great late Roger Scruton went to Jesus college.
Yes, Cambridge has produced more poets - Wordsworth, Byron and Coleridge too. But my favourites (Eliot, Shelley and Edward Thomas) went to Oxford. Eliot only for postgraduate - Philosophy at Merton.
Oddly, Oxford has many better poems about it - including by Cambridge men!
I've worked in Cambridge for a while and didn't like it a lot. Mind you, I can't really say that Oxford fills me with a warm fuzzy glow. Think I would rather have Barcelona.
Yes, Barcelona is stunning. I can't imagine liking Cambridge other than through being a student there. The town (it isn't a city) has few attractions and there's very little interesting countryside - the Fens are striking but boring.
A great review, Paul. I have been to Cambridge - several times, work-related only, so haven’t ‘done’ the colleges to any great extent. Just looking at your photos (snapshots obviously) I liked Magdalene the most. Seemed almost Italian - particularly when I blotted out the quad with my thumb! Completely agree about the difference in feel of the two cities - Cambridge and Oxford. Found Cambridge very disappointing in that respect, a suburban blob around the historic core. Oxford benefits from its linear development in the ‘ribbons’ between railway, canal and river - which gives rise to distinctively different suburbs and lovely villages or hamlets within the city: Binsey, Iffley, Lye Valley, Old Headington, Old Marston, Wolvercote - and Wytham, South & North Hinksey in the Vale but three miles or less from Carfax.
Yes, it's always down to Geography. Oxford has two rivers and is in a sort of island between them (no Rip Bulkley please!). It's why the Romans avoided it, having got trapped between rivers in the past.
Magdalene has this lovely serene atmosphere - as you say, like some Renaissance Italian spot. The brick is lovely - just a tinge of orange to the red.
I went to Cambridge for undergrad, then Oxford for post. Both are beautiful in their own way. But the less obvious advantage of Cambridge is that as a student you see far more of everything than Oxford: eg you cross Kings to get to lectures, go over the Backs to the Library, walk through Trinity Great Court to get to the shops, etc. And the punting is much better: through the centre of town for the lower river, past the Colleges and under the Bridge of Sighs (often from your own college if you are on the river). The upper river through Grantchester Meadows is also stunning on a warm summer’s day or evening. In Oxford the colleges are more closed off, so you just end up seeing less of them. And the punting is more remote.
Interesting points. I think the punting at Cambridge is better to see the colleges, for sure. But the Cam seemed like a traffic jam for punts, as a result. Maybe it's quieter in term time. But, working as a tour guide now, I'd say that both cities are being harmed by over-tourism, but King's Parade seems worse than either the High Street or Broad Street.
As you say, the punting at Oxford is more remote. Much more peaceful.
Oxford is much more a secretive city, and unless you go into colleges, you miss a huge part.
Your knowledge is much more current than mine. I was there many years ago, before over-tourism was an issue. I have been back since, but not frequently.
All the same: as a life experience, there are probably not many to beat a picnic party on two or three punts, on a warm summer evening, on Grantchester meadows.
Sounds superb! I'd love to swim in the Cam - I do it in the Thames near Oxford all the time, but upstream. But the Cam is much cleaner - surprised not to see people swimming. In fact, I almost took a dip!
Again, I may be out of date, but I can’t recommend swimming in the Cam - it used to be well known for giving you Cam Fever. But maybe it is cleaner now!
Cam Fever! Wonderful phrase.
Which college did you attend? I hope it wasn't one I slated!
Thanks Paul for your descriptive tour of Cambridge University colleges.
Some would say the birthplace of Monty Python with Cleese, Chapman and Idle treading the footlights and the great late Roger Scruton went to Jesus college.
Not to mention Milton, who could write a bit !
Yes, Cambridge has produced more poets - Wordsworth, Byron and Coleridge too. But my favourites (Eliot, Shelley and Edward Thomas) went to Oxford. Eliot only for postgraduate - Philosophy at Merton.
Oddly, Oxford has many better poems about it - including by Cambridge men!
I've worked in Cambridge for a while and didn't like it a lot. Mind you, I can't really say that Oxford fills me with a warm fuzzy glow. Think I would rather have Barcelona.
Yes, Barcelona is stunning. I can't imagine liking Cambridge other than through being a student there. The town (it isn't a city) has few attractions and there's very little interesting countryside - the Fens are striking but boring.
A great review, Paul. I have been to Cambridge - several times, work-related only, so haven’t ‘done’ the colleges to any great extent. Just looking at your photos (snapshots obviously) I liked Magdalene the most. Seemed almost Italian - particularly when I blotted out the quad with my thumb! Completely agree about the difference in feel of the two cities - Cambridge and Oxford. Found Cambridge very disappointing in that respect, a suburban blob around the historic core. Oxford benefits from its linear development in the ‘ribbons’ between railway, canal and river - which gives rise to distinctively different suburbs and lovely villages or hamlets within the city: Binsey, Iffley, Lye Valley, Old Headington, Old Marston, Wolvercote - and Wytham, South & North Hinksey in the Vale but three miles or less from Carfax.
Yes, it's always down to Geography. Oxford has two rivers and is in a sort of island between them (no Rip Bulkley please!). It's why the Romans avoided it, having got trapped between rivers in the past.
Magdalene has this lovely serene atmosphere - as you say, like some Renaissance Italian spot. The brick is lovely - just a tinge of orange to the red.
I've never been Paul but loved Oxford and its history. Thanks for the descriptive writing.
A pleasure - my view is completely subjective!