Chapter I: Preface

The Highways of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely are usually regarded as unattractive compared with those of England in general. Nor is this criticism wholly unfair. The county does lack the features which most make for picturesque rural scenery. There are no high hills, little even of undulation, and, what is yet more fatal, a sad sparsity of timber. The Highways, then, seem to the traveller merely stretches of ground to be got over as speedily as may be, and he rejoices that their flatness lends itself so well to this end.

It is however far otherwise with the Byways. These abound with picturesque nooks and corners. In every village charming features are to be found,--thatched and timbered cottages, hedgerow elms, bright willow-shaded watercourses, old-time village greens, and, above all, old-time village churches, often noble, and never without artistic and historical interest of high order. Few counties better repay exploration than Cambridgeshire.

And if the Highways are devoid of attraction during their course through the country districts, they make up for it by the supreme beauty and interest of their passage through the towns. Cambridge itself is, as all know, amongst the loveliest and most interesting places in existence, with its world-famed colleges and its epoch-making history. And Ely stands in the very first rank amongst the glorious cathedrals of England.

To introduce my readers, then, to the unique interest of these two places, with special regard to the points mostly passed over in guide-books, has been my chief purpose in the following pages. And to those who may think that a disproportionate amount of my space has been allotted to these, I would apologise by reminding them that the vast majority of travellers perforce confine their visits to such special centres, and have no time for exploring country lanes. But those who can make the time will find it (as this book, I hope, will show them) time well spent, and their exploration no small treat.

I need scarcely add that on such well-worn themes originality is hardly possible, and that I have made use both of my own earlier writings on the subject, and of those of others, my debt to whom I gratefully acknowledge. Most especially am I bound to do so with regard to Messrs. Atkinson and Clark, whose monumental work "Cambridge Described" is a veritable mine of information, and to Professor and Mrs. Hughes for the help which I have found in their "County Geography of Cambridgeshire."

EDWARD CONYBEARE.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I PAGE

Cambridge Greenery. -- The Backs. -- The Lawns. -- Logan's Views. --
Old Common Fields. -- Old Cambridge. -- Origin of Cambridge. -- The
Castle. -- Camboritum. -- Granta-ceaster. -- Danes in Cambridge. --
Cambridgeshire formed. -- Battle of Ringmere. -- Norman Conquest. --
The Jewry. -- Religious Houses. -- Rise of University. -- Town and
Gown. -- Proctors. -- The Colleges. -- Examinations. -- College
Life. -- Cambridge and Oxford 1

CHAPTER II

Entrance to Cambridge. -- Railways. -- Roman Catholic Church. --
Street runlets, Hobson, Perne. -- Fitzwilliam Museum. --
=Peterhouse=, Chapel, Deer-park. -- Little St. Mary's Church,
Washington Arms. -- Gray's window. -- =Pembroke College=, Large and
Small Colleges, "Querela Cantabrigiensis," Ridley's Farewell. -- St.
Botolph's Church. -- The King's Ditch. -- =Corpus Christi College=,
Cambridge Guilds, St. Benet's Church, Firehooks, Corpus Library,
Corpus Ghost. -- =St. Catherine's College.= -- King's Parade. --
Pitt Press. -- Newnham Bridge, Hermits. -- The Backs River, College
Bridges, Hithes 20

CHAPTER III

=Queens' College=, Erasmus, Cloisters, Carmelites, Chapel. -- Old
Mill Street. -- =King's College=, Henry VI, King's and Eton, Henry's
"Will." -- King's College Chapel, Wordsworth, Milton, Windows, Rosa
Solis, Screens, Stalls, Vaulting, Side-Chapels, View from Roof 47

CHAPTER IV

Spiked gates. -- Old Kings. -- =University Library=, Origin, Growth,
Codex Bezae. -- =Trinity Hall=, Colours, Library. -- =Clare College=,
"Poison Cup," Court, Bridge, Avenue. -- The Backs, Sirdar Bonfire,
College Gardens. -- =Trinity College=, Michaelhouse, King's Hall,
Henry VIII, Boat-clubs, Avenue, College Livings, Bridge, Library,
Byron, Nevile's Court, Cloisters, Echo, "Freshman's Pillar," Prince
Edward, Royal Ball, Goodhart, Buttery, College Plate, Grace-cup,
Kitchen, Hall, Combination Room, Marquis of Granby, Tutors, Old
Court, Fountain, Gate Towers, Clock, Lodge, Chapel, Newton, Organ,
Bentley, Windows, Macaulay 78

CHAPTER V

Whewell's Courts. -- All Saints' Cross. -- The Jewry. -- Divinity
School. -- =St. John's College=, Trinity and John's, Lady Margaret,
Fisher, Hospital of St. John, Gate Tower, First Court, Hall,
Wordsworth, Compulsory Worship, Combination Room, Second Court,
Library, Great Bible, Third Court, Bridge of Sighs, New Court,
Roof-climbing, Blazers, Wilderness. -- =Caius College=, Gonville,
The Three Gates, Kitchen, "Blues." -- =Senate House=, Congregations,
Vice-Chancellor, Voting, Degree-giving. -- =University Church=, Mr.
Tripos, Golgotha, Sermons, Tower, Chimes, Jowett. -- Market Hill,
Peasant Revolt, Wat Tyler, Bucer and Fagius, Bonfires, Town and
Gown 103

CHAPTER VI

Round Church. -- Union Society. -- The "Great Bridge," Hithe. --
=Magdalene College=, Buckingham College, Pepys, Charles Kingsley,
the "College Window," Master's Garden. -- Castle Hill, Camboritum,
Cromwell's Rampart, Repulse of Charles I, the "Borough," View from
Castle. -- St. Peter's Church. -- "School of Pythagoras." --
Westminster College. -- Ridley Hall. -- =Newnham College.= --
=Selwyn College.= -- Convent of St. Radegund, Bishop Alcock. --
Midsummer Common. -- Boat Houses, Bumping Races. -- =Jesus College=,
"Chimney," Cloisters, Chapter House, Chapel, Cranmer, Coleridge 132

CHAPTER VII

=Sidney College=, Oliver Cromwell, Fellow Commoners. -- Holy
Trinity, Simeon, Henry Martyn. -- =Christ's College=, "God's House,"
Lady Margaret, Flogging of Students, Bathing forbidden, Milton,
Lycidas, Gardens, Paley, Darwin. -- Great St. Andrew's, Bishop
Perry. -- =Emmanuel College=, Harvard, Sancroft, Chapel, Ponds. --
University Museums. -- =Downing College=, Miss Edgeworth. -- Coe
Fen. -- First Mile Stone. -- Barnwell, Priory, Abbey Church. --
Lepers' Chapel, Stourbridge Fair, Vanity Fair 151

CHAPTER VIII

Roads from Cambridge. -- Cambs and Isle of Ely, Girvii, East Angles,
Mercians, Formation of County. -- Newmarket Road. -- Quy. -- Fleam
Dyke. -- Devil's Dyke. -- Icknield Way. -- Iceni, Ostorius,
Boadicea. -- Newmarket Heath, First Racing. -- Exning, Anna. --
Snailwell. -- Fordham. -- Soham, St. Felix. -- Stuntney. -- Wicken.
-- Chippenham. -- Isleham, Lectern. -- Eastern Heights. -- Chevely,
Cambridge Corporation. -- Kirtling. -- Wood Ditton. -- Stetchworth.
-- Borough Green. -- Bottisham. -- Swaffham Bulbeck. -- The Lodes.
-- Swaffham Prior. -- Reach, Peat, Submerged Forest. -- Burwell,
Church, Clunch, Brass, Castle, Geoffry de Magnaville 168

CHAPTER IX

Hills Road. -- Gog Magogs. -- Vandlebury. -- Babraham, Peter Pence.
-- Old Railway. -- Hildersham, Brasses, Clapper Stile. -- Linton. --
Horseheath. -- Bartlow, St. Christopher, Battle of Assandun. --
Cherry Hinton, War Ditches, Saffron. -- Teversham. -- Fulbourn,
Brasses. -- Wilbraham. -- Fleam Dyke, Wild Flowers, Butterflies,
Ostorius, Last Cambs Battle. -- Balsham, Battle of Ringmere,
Massacre, Church Brasses, Grooved Stones 201

CHAPTER X

London Road. -- Trumpington, Church, Brass, Chaucer's Mill, Byron's
Pool, Upper River. -- Grantchester, Church. -- Cam and Granta. --
The Shelfords. -- Sawston, Old-world Industries, Hall, Hiding-Hole,
"Little John." -- Whittlesford, Old Hospital. -- Duxford. -- Triplow
Heath, Civil War. -- Fowlmere, Hinxton, Sacring Bell. -- Ickleton,
Monolith Pillars. -- Chesterford. -- Icknield Way. -- Saffron
Walden 219

CHAPTER XI

London Road. -- Hauxton Bridge, Indulgences, Church, Becket Fresco.
-- Burnt Mill. -- Haslingfield. -- White Hill, View, Clunch Pits,
Chapel, Papal Bulla. -- Barrington, Green, Church, Porch Seats,
Chest, Fountains, Finds, Coprolite Digging, Hall. -- Foxton. --
Shepreth. -- Meldreth, Parish Stocks. -- Melbourn, Shipmoney. --
Royston, Origin, Cave, Heath. -- Bassingbourn, Old Accounts,
Villenage. -- Black Death. -- Ashwell, Source of Cam, Church,
Graffiti. -- Akeman Street. -- Barton Butts. -- Comberton Maze. --
Harlton Church, Old Pit. -- Orwell Maypole, Church, Epitaph. --
Wimpole Hall, Queen Victoria. -- Arrington. -- Shingay,
Hospitallers, Fairy Cart. -- Wendy. -- Artesian Wells. -- Guilden
Morden, Screen, St. Edmund, Confessionals 235

CHAPTER XII

Oxford Road, Observatory, Neptune, Cambridge Discoveries. -- Coton.
-- Madingley. -- Hardwick. -- Toft, St. Hubert. -- Childerley,
Charles I. -- Knapwell. -- Bourn. -- Caxton. -- Eltisley, St.
Pandiania, Storm. -- St. Neot's, Neotus and Alfred. -- Paxton Hill.
-- Godmanchester, Port Meadow. -- Huntingdon, Cromwell's Penance. --
The Hemingfords. -- St. Ives. -- Holywell. -- Overcote. -- Earith,
the Bedford Rivers, "Parallax" 265

CHAPTER XIII

Island of Ely. -- Haddenham. -- Aldreth, Conqueror's Causeway,
Belsars Hill. -- Wilburton. -- Sutton. -- Wentworth. -- Via Devana.
-- Girton, College. -- Oakington, Holdsworth. -- Elsworth. --
Conington, Ancient Bells. -- Long Stanton, Queen Elizabeth. --
Willingham, Stone Chamber. -- Over, Gurgoyles. -- Swavesey, Finials.
-- Ely Road. -- Chesterton. -- Fen Ditton. -- Milton, Altar Rails.
-- Horningsea. -- Bait's Bite, Start of Race. -- Clayhithe. --
Waterbeach. -- Car Dyke. -- Denny. -- Stretham. -- Upware. -- Wicken
Fen. 282

CHAPTER XIV

Ely. -- Island and Isle. -- St. Augustine. -- St. Etheldreda, Life,
Death, Burial, St. Audrey's Fair. -- Danish Sack of Ely. -- Alfred's
College. -- Abbey Restored. -- Brithnoth, Song of Maldon. -- Battle
of Assundun. -- Canute at Ely. -- Edward the Confessor. -- Alfred
the Etheling. -- Camp of Refuge, Hereward, Norman Conquest, Tabula
Eliensis, Nomenclature, Norman Minster. -- Bishops of Ely, Rule over
Isle. -- Ely Place, Ely House 303

CHAPTER XV

Bishop Northwold. -- Presbytery Dedicated. -- Barons at Ely. -- Fall
of Tower, Alan of Walsingham, Octagon. -- Queen Philippa. -- Lady
Chapel, John of Wisbech, Bishop Goodrich. -- Bishop Alcock. --
Bishop West. -- Styles of Architecture. -- Monastic Industries. --
Mediaeval Account Books. -- Clothing and Food of Monks. --
Benedictine Rule. -- Dissolution of Abbey. -- Bishop Thirlby. --
Bishop Wren. -- Bishop Gunning. -- Bishop Turner 324

CHAPTER XVI

Approach to Ely. -- The Park. -- Walpole Gate. -- Crauden Chapel. --
Western Tower, Galilee. -- Nave. -- Baptistery. -- Roof. -- Prior's
Door. -- Cloisters. -- Owen's Cross. -- Octagon. -- Alan's Grave. --
Transepts. -- St. Edmund's Chapel. -- Choir Stalls. -- Presbytery.
-- Norman Piers. -- Reredos. -- Candlesticks 344

CHAPTER XVII

Monuments. -- West's Chapel. -- Alcock's Chapel. -- Northwold
Cenotaph. -- Bassevi. -- Shrine of Etheldreda. -- Lady Chapel. --
View from Tower. -- Triforium. -- Exterior of Minster. -- Palace,
"Duties" of Goodrich. -- St. Mary's. -- St. Cross. -- Cromwell's
House. -- Cromwell at Ely. -- St. John's Farm. -- Theological
College. -- Waterworks. -- Basket-making 366

CHAPTER XVIII

Boundary of Fens. -- Roman Works, Car Dyke, Sea Wall, Causeway. --
Archipelago. -- Littleport, Agrarian Riots. -- Denver Sluice. --
Roslyn Pit. -- Fenland Abbeys, Chatteris, Ramsey, Peterborough,
Thorney, Crowland 386

CHAPTER XIX

Draining of Fens -- Monastic Works, Morton's Learn. -- Diversion of
Ouse. -- Local Government, Jurats, Discontent. -- Jacobean polemics.
-- First Drainage Company. -- Rising of Fen-men. -- Second Company,
Huguenot Labourers. -- Third Company, Earl of Bedford, Vermuyden. --
Old River. -- Cromwell. -- Fourth Company, Prisoner Slaves, New
River, Denver Sluice. -- Later Developments 398