LIVING AND WORKING IN THE AREA CONTENTS Introduction ...... 3 The City of Cambridge...... 4 Culture...... 5 Shopping...... 6 Café Culture, Restaurants and Bars...... 7 Huntingdon...... 8 Residential Areas...... 10 Housing...... 12 Travel...... 13 Settling your family into the area...... 14
Maps...... 16 If you are considering relocating to the area to join CRC at either campus (or both) then you might find this brochure, which gives a snapshot into life nearby as well as some insight into housing and travel, a helpful reference.
3 THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE Cambridge, situated in the East of England, is a beautiful, historic city best known for its academics, university colleges and the River Cam. Cambridge is a popular visitor destination attracting people from across the world.
The population of Cambridge sits at approximately 125,000 with almost a fifth made up of students and a significantly high proportion of adult professionals with a higher education qualification, making it a great place to work and live. There is an endless supply of culture, history, entertainment and architecture. As you move out of the city you will find yourself in growing townships and a little further afield, you will find beautiful rural villages; meaning you don’t have to travel too far to find country parks, riverside walks and places of interest.
Cambridge is renowned for its progressive approach towards industry, science and research and Cambridge Regional College works with over 1,500 local employers to provide learning and training opportunities for students.
Travelling in and around is easy with a guided bus service, a choice of park and ride locations, two train stations with links connecting the city directly to London King’s Cross and Liverpool Street, Ipswich, Ely and Norwich, and the cross-country lines link Cambridge with Stansted Airport and Birmingham. In addition, there are excellent motorway links with the A14, M11 and A1 just a short distance away. The College is located to the North East of the city and is easily accessible from A14. There is free on-campus parking for staff and electric vehicle charging points.
4 CULTURE
If you are looking for the cultural experience, Cambridge has a little bit of everything on offer, including museums and gardens, art exhibitions and entertainment. The museums of Cambridge house more than five million works of art, artefacts and specimens and the historical buildings in which they are situated add further to the appeal. In addition, Cambridge offers a choice of art galleries ranging from classic to contemporary. Cambridge is a very green city with plenty of opportunity for the outdoor experience. In the city centre you will find local nature reserves and Cambridge University Botanic Garden, and, in the surrounding area, the wider city provides the ideal setting for a more relaxed lifestyle in the many country parks, nature reserves and green areas on offer.
Places of interest: The Fitzwilliam Museum, as notable for its architecture as its exhibits Cambridge University Museums Ruskin Gallery Kettle’s Yard Gallery New Hall Art Collection Cambridge University Botanic Garden Grantchester Meadows Trumpington Meadows Beechwood Nature Reserve
5 SHOPPING
While universities, history and architecture may come to mind when you first think of Cambridge, the city has a great selection of places for you to shop, ranging from shopping centres to independent stores and bustling high streets. The Grand Arcade, situated in the heart of the city, is Cambridge’s leading shopping destination with 60 premium retail stores, as well as a choice of places to eat and drink. Also in the city centre, the Lion Yard shopping centre houses a further range of stores, eateries and more. A ten-minute walk from the centre of town takes you to The Grafton shopping centre where you will find more high street and designer retail stores, restaurants, cafes and a cinema. As you explore the vibrant city you will discover a wide range of independent stores, high street retailers and the market, situated in the cobbled market square. Places of interest: The Grand Arcade The Lion Yard shopping centre The Grafton Centre and cinema The City Market, open 7 days a week Cambridge Retail Park Beehive Centre
6 CAFÉ CULTURE, RESTAURANTS AND BARS If you are looking for somewhere to eat or drink, you won’t have to go far as Cambridge offers an extensive range of great places to dine including restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars.
On Campus we have a number of subsidised eatery options and in your free time you might like to get out and explore the full range of restaurants offering international cuisines, cafes offering lighter bites, and public houses to enjoy some quality leisure time in.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism- g186225-Cambridge_Cambridgeshire_ England-Vacations.html
7 HUNTINGDON Huntingdon is home to our other CRC campus and is situated 16 miles to the north-west of Cambridge. Huntingdon is a chartered market town with a rich history and this, coupled with its good commuter connections and scenic riverside walks have put Huntingdon on the house-hunting map.
Located on the north bank of the River Great Ouse, opposite Godmanchester and close to St Ives, Huntingdon benefits from good transport links including the A14, A1 and M1.
The town was Chartered in 1205 by King John as a market town and is well known as the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell – even having its own Cromwell Museum where there are reportedly nearly 700 items - and the home of former Prime Minister John Major, who served as MP in the area.
On the bustling streets of Huntingdon, you’ll find a wide range of boutique and high street shops, a twice-weekly market and a range of pubs and cafés.
To learn more, you might like to search up Huntingdon online. A number of useful websites, including: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntingdon https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g209939-Activities-Huntingdon_Cambridgeshire_ England.html Plus others!
8 For those with a love of the outdoors, or simply seeking some pleasant dog walking routes, there is the nearby Portholme Meadow, England’s largest lowland meadows; Hinchingbrooke Country Park which covers 170 acres and a nearby nature reserve in St Neots. For those that enjoy the thrill and glamour of race days, Huntingdon Racecourse holds regular race meetings, including family fun days and special events.
There are several National Trust properties nearby including Wimpole Hall with its working estate, and Houghton Mill and Waterclose Meadows, where flour is still produced in the 18th-century watermill. In addition, Grafham Water and Rutland Water offer some great walks, water sports, cycling and fishing.
With a range of housing options available, good transport links and a wide range of amenities, Huntingdon and its nearby characterful villages and historic towns have a lot to offer to anyone looking to relocate.
9 RESIDENTIAL AREAS Cambridge and Huntingdon are surrounded by a number of bustling towns and pretty villages, all of which are within commutable distance of Cambridge Regional College’s two campuses. To get you started, we have detailed some of the better-known towns, but be sure to explore the area as there are plenty of villages and new developments being built to also consider when looking for somewhere new to call home.
Cambourne is a relatively new settlement located seven miles west of Cambridge along the A428 and 12 miles South of Huntingdon, along the A14. The development started in 1988 and is the largest development in South Cambridgeshire; comprising of Great, Lower and Upper. There are apartments and houses from one to six bedrooms, and affordable housing. Amenities include several primary schools, a secondary school; a high street offering shops, cafes and facilities; a fitness and sports centre; a four-star hotel with swimming pool and leisure facilities; as well as pubs and restaurants. Great Cambourne also has its own Eco Park which is home to a number of different species.
Ely is approximately 16 miles northeast of Cambridge, along the A10 and 22 miles East of Huntingdon, on the A142. A regular direct train service will get you to Cambridge within 20 minutes. Ely Cathedral dominates the City and houses a stained-glass museum which is of considerable architectural interest, attracting visitors from across the region and beyond. The River Ouse flows through the City with opportunities to take a cruise or hire a rowing boat. There are also a few pubs and restaurants along the riverbank where you can enjoy the views. Shopping in Ely is easy and convenient with a number of well-known chains and a good mix of specialist shops and boutiques. It also offers a busy market on a Thursday, a craft market every Saturday and a Farmers’ market every third Saturday.
Royston sits on the border of Hertfordshire along the A10 and is approximately 12 miles and 31 miles southwest of Cambridge and Huntingdon respectively. There are regular direct trains into Cambridge with journeys taking around 20 minutes. Royston is a small market town surrounded by numerous attractive villages. There is an 18- hole golf course on Therfield Heath with spectacular views overlooking Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
10 Newmarket is a historic market town in Suffolk approximately 12 miles east of Cambridge along the A14. There is a direct rail link between Newmarket and Cambridge with journeys taking around 20 minutes. Newmarket, otherwise known as ‘The Home of Racing’, is famous for its horse racing history. During the summer season ’Newmarket Nights’ sees a great line-up of musical entertainment with an open-air concert by well-known bands or artists after the races have finished. It is also home to the National Stud which is open for tours during the summer months.
Longstanton and Northstowe are located to the northwest of Cambridge. The village of Longstanton is next to the new town of Northstowe and a stop on the Guided Busway route between CRC’s two campuses. By car, the towns are approximately 10 miles from Cambridge and 13 miles from Huntingdon. Plus, relatively close is the nature reserve at Fen Drayton Lakes.
St Ives is a pretty market town east of Huntingdon and 12 miles north-west of Cambridge: linked to Cambridge via the Guided Busway and 5 miles East of Huntingdon. Built on the banks of the River Great Ouse with its landmark Bridge the town has a long history of being a hub of trade and navigation. It has a large number of pubs, cafés and restaurants to choose from as well as a nature reserve to the east and various culture, sport facilities, and community events.
11 HOUSING We recommend you familiarise yourself with house prices/rental costs in the area. Below are a number of local estate agents for buying/letting -
Bidwells Property Consultants Pocock & Shaw Address: Stonecross, Trumpington High Street, Address: 2 Dukes Course, 54-62 Newmarket Cambridge CB2 2SU Road, Cambridge CB5 8DZ Telephone: (01223) 841842 Telephone: (01223) 322552 http://www.bidwells.co.uk https://www.pocock.co.uk
Bush and Co Purple Bricks Address: 169 Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 3AN https://www.purplebricks.co.uk Telephone: (01223) 246262 http://www.bushsales.co.uk Redmayne Arnold & Harris Address: 54-64 Newmarket Road, Cambridge Carter Jonas Bradshaw CB5 8DZ Address: 1 Histon Road, Cambridge CB4 3BF Telephone: (01223) 323130 Telephone: (01223) 664990 http://www.rah.co.uk http://www.carterjonas.co.uk/ Tucker Gardner Partnership Cheffins Residential Address: 51 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1NT Address: Clifton House, 1 & 2 Clifton Road, Telephone: (01223) 902207 Cambridge, CB1 7EA http://www.tuckergardner.com Telephone: (01223) 214214 http://www.cheffins.co.uk/ Vincent Shaw Estate Agents Address: 1 The Broadway, Cambridge Haart CB1 3AH Address: 64 Regent Street, Cambridge, Telephone: (01223) 243900 CB2 1DP http://www.vincentshaw.net Telephone: (01223) 785791 https://www.haart.co.uk/ Rightmove http://www.rightmove.co.uk Hockeys Address: 10 Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2AD Savills Telephone: (01223) 356054 Address: Unex House, 132-134 Hills Road, http://www.hockeys.co.uk Cambridge, CB2 8PA Telephone: (01223) 347000 http://www.savills.co.uk
Zoopla https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/
Note: These are some suggestions and you might like to look online for further options. Also, you could ask around for some personal recommendations for locations, estate agents, and methods of buying or renting. TRAVEL We know getting to and from Campus will be important and for both campuses there are a number of options. CAMBRIDGE HUNTINGDON There are a wide range of ways to travel into Huntingdon has good transport links too, Cambridge, which are very accessible and which helps with any travel between the two easy to use, helping you to avoid commuter campuses. Such as: congestion. These include: Bus – There are several Cambridgeshire Car - Cambridge has excellent major road links Guided Busway options, you’ll often hear the in all directions thanks to its proximity to the buses referred to as guided buses as they run M11 and A14. on dedicated routes to points where other traffic can’t go. Bus – Local buses run frequently with routes in all directions out of the city, and the Train – Direct services to London King’s Cross Busway, connecting Huntingdon, St Ives and station take an hour, and Peterborough can be Cambridge provides a means of getting reached in under 20 minutes. between both Campuses in just over 1 hour. For routes and timetables see: https:// Car – Well connected by the A14 and A1(M), thebusway.info/ it takes around 30 minutes (depending on traffic) to get between the two campuses and Train - There are now two stations in to get to London by car takes about 1 hour 30 Cambridge – the nearest one just over 1 mile minutes. away – and there is a fast train service to London taking less than one hour and direct Air – The nearest airport is Stansted, train lines to all main towns and cities in the approximately one hour’s drive-away, and region. Luton is similarly reachable within the hour.
Air - Both Stansted and Luton airports are Cycle – The River Great Ouse provides miles within easy reach by car, train or coach. of attractive walks and cycle ways. Plus, there are plenty of bike racks at the Huntingdon Cycling - Within Cambridge and the Campus, if you chose to come by this method surrounding area, cycling is a very popular of transport. way to travel and there is an excellent network of cycle paths. A map of Cambridge and local cycle routes can be accessed via the Cambridgeshire Council website: https://www. cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads- and-parking/cycling/cycle-routes-and-maps
At Cambridge Regional College, we can also provide you with free bus transport to work at the College from the railway station and from surrounding villages as well as access to the Cambridgeshire car share scheme. Plus, ample cycle parking at both campuses.
You can obtain more travel information from: www.nationalrail.co.uk https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/ travel-roads-and-parking SETTLING YOUR FAMILY INTO THE AREA Those of you with children will want to know about schools and childcare facilities. We are fortunate to be in an area where there are a wide range of options, including some of the best in the country, however this means demand can be high so we’d recommend you start looking into this as soon as you know you’ll be joining our team and moving nearby.
Here are a few websites you might like to look at for more information on schools and childcare options:
https://www.gov.uk/school-performance-tables
www.childcare.co.uk/information/childcare-link
https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/childcare-and-early- learning/childcare-information
The nearest nursery to the Cambridge Campus is a short walk away on the Cambridge Science Park and is part of the Bright Horizon Group. https://www.brighthorizons.co.uk/our-nurseries/csp-day-nursery-and-preschool
And there are also a number of nursery and childcare options available in Huntingdon.
14 We hope you find this information helpful and if you’ve got any further questions do contact the HR Team. 15 All the best with your move to join us in this wonderful part of the country.
Cambridge Campus Kings Hedges Road CB4 2QT
Huntingdon Campus California Road Huntingdon PE29 1BL