Cambridge's Hidden History & Curious Secrets

Explore the history, secrets and quirks of Cambridge in this tour of one of Britain’s most beautiful and influential cities.

From Cambridge University’s 800-year history to hidden artworks, medieval churches, historic pubs and scientific breakthroughs, this video uncovers the stories that shaped the city — including the oldest building in Cambridge, the origins of modern football, early computing pioneers, the world’s first video game, DNA, Alan Turing, Oliver Cromwell and more.

Along the way, we’ll visit Parker’s Piece, King’s College Chapel, the Mathematical Bridge, the Corpus (Grasshopper) Clock, Cambridge’s oldest pubs, and many lesser-known corners you might otherwise miss.

Whether you’re visiting, studying, or simply love British history, architecture and hidden stories, this film offers a deeper look at what makes Cambridge so special.

Thanks for watching — and feel free to share your own Cambridge memories in the comments.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro- Welcome to Cambridge
01:47 How Cambridge Got Its Name
02:45 Cambridge's Oldest Building
04:17 Parker's Piece & the Birthplace of Modern Football
06:00 Cambridge's 'Dinky Doors'
07:05 Cambridge's Spiky Postbox
07:54 The Grasshopper Clock & Cambridge Chimes
10:30 Computing Pioneers & the First Video Game
13:08 The Chimneysweep Plaque
14:36 Cambridge American Cemetery
15:45 Cambridge Mathematical Bridge
16:28 Oliver Cromwell's Head
18:15 Cambridge's Oldest Pubs: The Pickerel Inn & RAF Bar
20:01 DNA Discoveries
21:29 Sir Christopher Wren's First Building
22:05 King's College Chapel & Carols From King's
23:36 Trinity College; Henry VIII & Byron's Bear
25:47 Outro

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Links for this video:

Dinky Doors:
https://www.dinkydoors.co.uk

The Pickerel Inn:
https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/cam...

The Eagle:
https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/cam...

Thank you so much to all of you who support my channel with your kind words, likes and shares.

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If you're feeling extra generous, you can also support my work with a tip via either the YouTube 'thanks' button (which appears as a heart icon below the video), or alternatively, via my Ko-fi account:
https://ko-fi.com/robslondon

Any such financial donations are of course greatly appreciated, and they really do help when it comes to creating content.

My other links:

Twitter:
  / cabmirror  

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/robert_lord...

Thanks again for watching, friends. Stay well, and please be sure to stay tuned!

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Credits


IMAGES

Openstreetmap.org

David Rumsey Maps

Footage of Oxford: Steve B (via Pexels)

Gasworks Image: campturingcambridge.org

Mathematical Laboratory: cl.cam.ac.uk

Rotary Dial: Ron Lach (pexels)

Game Controller: Drench Rafael

DNA Animation: Pressmaster, Creative Commons (Pexels)

King’s Fan Vault Ceiling: seier+seier (Creative Commons): https://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/4...

Carols From Kings Footage: KingsCollegeChoir Channel

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SOUND EFFECTS

Owl: gadzooks (Creative Commons, free sound)

Vacuum Tube Hum: SoundsofTheMachine

Relay Control System: Engineer_815

Phone: Rotary Dial: BennettFilmTeacher

ZX Spectrum reading a tape by Felfa -- https://freesound.org/s/128783/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

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MUSIC

Swans in Flight (Asher Fulero)

Yonder Hill and Dale (Aaron Kenny)


Dark Hallway by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...

Artist: http://incompetech.com/


The Curious Kitten (Aaron Kenny)

Circus Waltz - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...

Artist: http://incompetech.com/


Analogue Cabin (Noir Et Blanc Vie)


Forest Lullabye (Asher Fulero)

1940’s Slow Dance (Doug Maxwell Media Right Productions)

Earth Appears (Brian Bolger)


Midnight Meeting by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Colonel Bogey March (The U.S Marine Corps Band)

AnaCaptainslogue (Noir Et Blanc Vie)

Baroque Coffee House (Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions)

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...

Artist: http://incompetech.com/


Prelude No. 11 by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/preludes/

Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/


A Night Alone (TrackTribe)