Unsuitable For Large Vehicles

A celebration of some of central Cambridge's lanes, alleys and passageways, all of them totally impractical in this modern age - and all the more interesting for that.
 

 Free School Lane

In the seventeenth century Dr Stephen Perse left money to found a school for the education of 100 boys in the Cambridge area. Nowadays the Perse School has moved onto a much larger site and the University's Science Museum occupies the site. 
 

St Edward's Passage

Everybody's favourite second-hand and antiquarian bookshop, G David. Most people pronounce it in the English way as few realise that Mr G David was, in fact, Monsieur Gustave David, a Frenchman, so it should be said "Da'VEED".

 Pembroke Street

Takes its name from Pembroke College which runs along south side of it (on the left in the above picture) and which in turn is named after the Countess Of Pembroke who founded the college as long ago as 1347. At the other end of the road stands Downing College, so that end of the street is known as Downing Street. The whole thing is part of Cambridge's ridiculously complex one-way traffic system, though the left-hand side (as you look at it above) is a contra-flow lane for bicycles. Scary!
 

 Senate House Passage

A narrow lane right in the heart of the University, running between Gonville and Caius College and the Universities central administrative buildings, Senate House Passage passes between buildings of the highest architectural merit. However most of them stand with their least impressive sides towards the lane and there's scarcely room to stand back and admire them anyway - certainly not when cyclists are speeding through on their way to lectures!

 Trinity Lane

This part of Trinity Lane used to lead down to the wharves on the river. It was once known as Find Silver Lane and later King's Childer Lane - and nobody seems to be sure why. Apart from the yellow lines to denote "No Parking" it can't have changed much since medieval times. Incidentally the man in charge of parking restrictions for the local authority is the aptly named Mr Lines!

 Green Street

Green Street doesn't get its name from the prominent green building, neither are there any green spaces nearby. The best guess is that the land might once have been owned by someone called Green. Like much of central Cambridge it's almost pedestrianised, with only essential vehicles, and of course bicycles, allowed in. 

I can remember when all the centre of town was open to traffic, the first fully pedestrianised street being the oddly named Petty Cury, and I recall my history teacher commenting "It's been pedestrianised for years, but they've only just informed the motorists". I've been thinking about my history master a lot recently - he once told us that no sensible government would ever allow a referendum. 'Nuff said.

 Portugal Place

These days it does have rather an Southern European feel to it, but the name derives from a time when it was the place where port wine was stored. The University fellows apparently consumed prodigious quantities of the stuff, and I expect some still do.

 Magdalene Street

Believe it or not double-decker buses still make their way down Magdalene Street! 

 Sussex Street

This must be one of the nicest bits of inter-war years planning anywhere. I believe that the upper parts of the buildings are rooms of Sidney Sussex College while the ground floors are occupied by shops, a plan which has since been adopted in many other parts of the city.

 Trinity Street

Nearly all these pictures include bikes; it's just the quickest and easiest way to get around, never mind any environmental considerations. This used once to be Cambridge's High Street but now is variously called Trumpington Street, King's Parade, Trinity Street and....

St John's Street

.....St John's Street. We're now firmly in "tourist Cambridge", looking towards the mighty St John's Chapel, with the east end of Trinity Chapel on the left of the picture.

While taking these shots and writing this post I've thought of several other things of interest, which will no doubt crop up at a later date. Until then...


...take care.