Cambridge
Cambridgeshire · United Kingdom
A city of colleges, punts, bicycles, and the enduring belief that every intellectual debate is improved by relocating it to a pub.
Ways to explore Cambridge
About Cambridge
Cambridge, or as we like to call it, The City of Punting and Pondering, has been confusing tourists and inspiring geniuses since before the Romans decided to pop in and build a fort (because nothing says "holiday" like a bit of defensive architecture). Fast forward a few centuries, and the town was already brewing more than just ale, it was brewing ideas. And, let’s be honest, probably a fair bit of ale too.
By the 13th century, the locals had the bright idea to found a university. Not content with just one college, they decided to sprinkle them about like pubs on a Friday night, everywhere you look, there’s another one, each with its own quirks, rivalries, and, presumably, a very well-stocked cellar. King’s College Chapel? That’s just the city’s way of showing off. "Oh, you thought your ceiling was impressive? Hold my mead."
The River Cam, of course, is the real star. It’s not just a river; it’s a stage. Students, scholars, and slightly tipsy visitors have been punting along it for centuries, pretending they know what they’re doing while gently crashing into each other. The tradition of punting is older than the tradition of blaming the person at the back for the crash, just.
And let’s not forget the pubs. The Eagle, where Watson and Crick announced they’d "cracked the code" (of DNA, not the till), or The Mill, where the only thing flowing faster than the ale is the gossip. Cambridge pubs are where revolutions in science, literature, and "who left the bike in the river?" have all been debated over a pint.
So here’s to Cambridge: a city where the buildings are older than the jokes, the punters are braver than they look, and the history is as rich as the gravy on a Sunday roast. Cheers!
Gallery
What a load of punts
Pubs in Cambridge
Alma
26 Russell Court, CambridgeCB2 1HW
Ancient Shepherds
5 Fen Ditton High Street, CambridgeCB5 8ST
Architect
43 Castle Street, CambridgeCB3 0AH
Baron of Beef
19 Bridge Street, CambridgeCB2 1UF
Blue Ball Inn
57 Broadway, CambridgeCB3 9NQ
Blue Moon
2 Norfolk Street, CambridgeCB1 2LF
Boathouse
Crusoe Bridge, CambridgeCB2 1RT
Brook
Burleigh Arms
9-11 Newmarket Road, CambridgeCB5 8EG
Cambridge Blue
85-87 Gwydir Street, CambridgeCB1 2LG
Carlton Arms
53 Carlton Way, CambridgeCB4 2BY
Carpenter's Arms
10 High Street, CambridgeCB21 5JD
Castle Inn
38 Castle Street, CambridgeCB3 0AJ
Champion of the Thames
68 King Street, CambridgeCB1 1LN
Clarendon Arms
35-36 Clarendon Street, CambridgeCB1 1JX
Corner House
231 Newmarket Road, CambridgeCB5 8JE
Cricketers
18 Melbourne Place, CambridgeCB1 1EQ
Devonshire Arms
1 Devonshire Road, CambridgeCB1 2BH
Dobblers Inn
184 Sturton Street, CambridgeCB1 2QF
Duke of Cambridge
Eagle
8 Bene't St, Cambridge CB2 3QNCB2 3QN
Historic 17th-century coaching inn
Earl of Beaconsfield
133 Mill Road, CambridgeCB1 3AA
Earl of Derby
129 Hills Road, CambridgeCB2 1PG
Elm Tree
16a Orchard Street, CambridgeCB1 1JT
Empress
72 Thoday Street, CambridgeCB1 3AX
Flying Pig
106 Hills Rd, Cambridge CB2 1LQCB2 1LQ
Popular community local
Fort St George
Free Press
7 Prospect Row, CambridgeCB1 1DU
Geldart
1 Ainsworth Street, CambridgeCB1 2PF
Golden Hind
Milton Road, CambridgeCB4 1SP
Grain Store
Broadway, South CambridgeshireCB23 6LG
Granta
Grapes
19 Histon Road, CambridgeCB4 3JB
Green Dragon
5 Water Street, CambridgeCB4 1NZ
Green Man
55 High Street, CambridgeCB2 9HZ
Haymakers
54 High Street, CambridgeCB4 1NG
Hopbine
Hudson's Ale House
77 High Street, CambridgeCB2 9HZ
King's Head
Kingston Arms
33 Kingston Street, CambridgeCB1 2NU
King Street Run
86-88 King Street, CambridgeCB1 1LN
Live and Let Live
Lord Byron Inn
22 Church Lane Trumpington, CambridgeCB2 9LA
Tucked away in Trumpington, this charming old inn has more character than a university professor with three cups of coffee and an opinion on everything. With its low beams, wood-panelled charm and the sort of atmosphere that suggests generations of locals have sat by the fire solving the world’s problems (usually after a pint or two), it’s a proper slice of Cambridge pub life. The Lord Byron is the kind of place where you can imagine a poet wandering in for inspiration, only to be distracted by a decent steak, a local ale, and the urgent need for a second helping of pudding. It offers the traditional pub trifecta: good food, good drink, and a garden where conversations mysteriously become longer the warmer the weather gets. Whether you’re escaping the hustle of Cambridge, recovering from a day of pretending to understand university lectures, or simply looking for somewhere that feels like a proper British inn rather than a converted warehouse with mood lighting, the Lord Byron delivers the goods. A pub with history, character and just enough creaky-floorboard charm to make you feel you should either be writing poetry, discussing philosophy, or ordering another pint.
Maypole
20a Portugal Place, CambridgeCB5 8AF
Med
Mill
Milton Arms
Milton Road, CambridgeCB4 1XG
Mitre
17 Bridge Street, CambridgeCB2 1UF
New Pub
Old Spring
1 Ferry Path, CambridgeCB4 1HB
Old Ticket Office
Station Road, CambridgeCB1 2JW
Panton Arms
43 Panton Street, CambridgeCB2 1HL
Petersfield
Pickerel
30 Magdalene Street, CambridgeCB3 0AF
Pint Shop
10 Peas Hill, CambridgeCB2 3PP
Portland Arms
129 Chesterton Road, CambridgeCB4 3BA
Prince Regent
91 Regent Street, CambridgeCB2 1AW
Punter
3 Pound Hill, CambridgeCB3 0AE
Queen Edith House
31 Queen Edith's Way, CambridgeCB1 7PH
Red Bull
11 Barton Road, CambridgeCB3 9JZ
Red Lion
Grantchester Meadows cycleway, South CambridgeshireCB3 9NQ
Regal
38-39 Saint Andrew's Street, CambridgeCB2 3AR
Rock
Royal Standard
292 Mill Road, CambridgeCB1 3NL
Rupert Brooke
2-4 Broadway, CambridgeCB3 9NQ
Salisbury Arms
76 Tenison Road, CambridgeCB1 2DW
Ship
Northfield Avenue, CambridgeCB4 2LG
Sir Isaac Newton
84 Castle Street, CambridgeCB3 0AJ
Six Bells
11 Covent Garden, CambridgeCB1 2HS
St Radegund
129 King Street, CambridgeCB1 1LD
The Alex
22-24 Gwydir Street, CambridgeCB1 2LL
The Anchor
Silver St, Cambridge CB3 9ELCB3 9EL
Riverside pub on the Cam
The Bath House
3 Bene't Street, CambridgeCB2 3QN
The Cambridge Brew House
1 King Street, CambridgeCB1 1LH
The Plough
Green End, South CambridgeshireCB5 8SX
Tram Depot
2-5 Dover Street, CambridgeCB1 1DY
Waterman
32 Chesterton Road, CambridgeCB4 3AX
White Swan
109 Mill Road, CambridgeCB1 2AZ
Wrestlers
337 Newmarket Road, CambridgeCB5 8JE