Cambridge to Hauxton Junction

From Magdalene Bridge, several colleges of the University of Cambridge back on to the River Cam with their grounds covering both banks of the river; some colleges have buildings on both banks, others not, and several have bridges linking the College with the area known as The Backs.  This is a very beautiful area and most tourists visit The Backs and take in the views of the bridges, the most notable of which are The Bridge of Sighs (St John's College) and The Mathematical Bridge (Queen's College).

From here, the River Cam runs through Coe Fen and under the Fen Causeway to Sheep's Green towards Newnham and Grantchester.  There is an interesting folly on Coe Fen at the junction with Vicar's Brook (which leads to Hobson's Conduit - see post in Cambridge City); Hodson's Folly is a summerhouse built in 1887 by John Hodson, butler at Pembroke College, in order to keep an eye on his daughter as she swam in the river (making it Town, not Gown!).  From here, I double back towards Newnham and cross the river to walk through Paradise Nature Reserve, re-joining at Skaters' Meadow to continue via Grantchester Meadows towards Granchester

Onwards and further upstream I divert to Byron's Pool, now part of a small nature reserve; it is named after Lord Byron, who is said (by Brooke, at least) to have swum there.  The River Cam now passes through the Trumpington Nature Reserve and under the M11 to Hauxton Junction; this is the confluence of the two branches of the River Cam - the eastern branch, the Granta, and the western arm, the Rhee.Read more