Cambridge

Cambridge, city, county town of Cambridgeshire, in eastern England, on the River Cam. Cambridge University is world-famous, one of the great educational institutions of Europe. The city is also a market centre for the surrounding agricultural region and has a growing number of sophisticated technological industries, such as electronics, biotechnology, and scientific instrument manufacture. Other industries include flour-milling and cement-making. Cambridge has retained much of its medieval appearance and has countless fine buildings, such as the 10th-century church of St Bene't, and the restored church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the four round Norman churches in England. King's College Chapel (begun in 1446) is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. The city has numerous parks and gardens and many museums and galleries, including the famous Fitzwilliam Museum, the Cambridge Museum, and the county folk museum. Cambridge hosts an annual arts festival, and a midsummer fair has been held in the city since the early 16th century.

There is a Belgic (see Belgae) settlement that pre-dates the Roman camp found at Castle Hill. In Anglo-Saxon times trade between central England and continental Europe passed over the bridge on the River Cam. During the 12th century various religious orders established monasteries and affiliated schools in Cambridge: the university originated from these institutions in the 13th century. Cambridge received its first charter in 1207. A campus of Anglia Polytechnic University (established 1992) is located in the city. Population 108,879 (2001).