CAMBRIDGE COURTS | Getting there/Sustenance/Things to do
From London to Cambridge Station
Direct trains depart from:
a) London King’s Cross at .14, .44 past the hour (46-50min journey time) or .53 past the hour (1h02 journey time).
b) London Liverpool Street at .28 and .58 past the hour (1h10 – 1h23 journey time).
Check National Rail website as train times can change. Paper tickets required and cost £34.10 (peak) / £23.70 (off peak) from King’s Cross and £28.60 (peak) / £20.60 (off peak) from Liverpool Street
Court Details:
Cambridge County Court
197 East Road
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB1 1BA
Tel: 0844 8924000
Fax: 01223 224590
DX: 97650 Cambridge 3
Email: cambridgecountyenquiries@hmcts.gsi.gov.uk
Court counter times: 10.00am – 2.00pm
Telephone enquiries: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Areas covered: Civil, family
Cambridge Crown Court
The Court House
83 East Road
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB1 1BT
Tel: 01223 488321
Fax: 01223 488333
DX: 97365 Cambridge 3
Email: enquiries@cambridge.countycourt.gsi.gov.uk
Court counter times: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Areas covered: Crime
Getting there from Cambridge Station
Three options; take your pick!
Walk (cheapest, 15-20 mins)
Come out of station and turn right where the taxis are and follow the road all the way round until you get onto Devonshire Road. Turn right there, walk to the end of the road and turn left onto Mill Road. For the crown court, take the first right onto Gwydir Street, walk to the end, and turn right onto East St. The crown court is immediately on your right. For the county court, keep walking to the end of Mill Road and turn right onto East Road. The county court is on the left opposite the Zion Baptist Church.
Buses (£1.50)
There is no point taking a bus to the county court, as you end up walking half the way anyway. If you don’t want to walk, take a taxi instead.
For the crown court, take:
Citi 3 – leaves from Stop 2 (to the left of the station when you come out)
Bus 99 – leaves from Stop 4 (also to the left of the entrance)
Taxi (£5-8, 7 mins)
Taxi rank is right outside the station – you can’t miss it.
CAMBRIDGE CROWN AND COUNTY COURTS | SUSTENANCE
In the past our ignorance has meant we’ve ventured all the way into the town centre to pick up a sandwich. Whilst this might still tempt some of you (see our section on sustenance near the mags courts if so), we now know there are equally good places – if not better – near the crown and county courts. Check out the following:
Hot Numbers Coffee, 5/6 Dales Brewery, Gwydir Street
This is our go-to coffee shop for breakfast or lunch and is a perfect pause on the walk to court. Branded as a roastery, the coffee definitely doesn’t disappoint; nor do the homemade and locally produced snacks and lunches. Add the wifi and art gallery attached and you can see why this is apparently the best coffee house in Cam. We particularly love their Smoked Maple Syrup Bacon Sandwich on local sourdough to kick-start the day. Buy yourself a pastel de nata for the road too go on.
CB1, 32 Mill Road
Supposedly England’s oldest internet café, this place focuses on coffee, smoothies and cakes. If it’s sandwiches you’re after, this isn’t your place, but it makes up for it with the free wifi and book-laden shelves. A great place to get some work done if you’ve got the time.
Orange Tree Café, 11 Burleigh Street
Just round the corner from the county court and therefore an easy stop-off for
brekkie or lunch. Bacon rolls for only £2, with sandwiches, baguettes, salads, jacket potatoes and burgers also on the menu. Not exactly gourmet cuisine but better than some of its nearby competitors.
Zonghua Traditional Snacks, 13 Norfolk Street
Down Norfolk Street – bang in between the two courts – is this dim sum haven. Unremarkable (if not off-putting) from the outside, this place really is worth a visit inside. Try the prawn Har Gau (12 dumplings for £6.50) and the pickled cucumber. The soups are pretty more-ish too.
Bibimbap House, 60 Mill Road
Five minutes away from the county court, this Korean place can compete with the best Korean restaurants in London, yet all at student prices. Definitely recommended if you have time to sit down and fancy something different to your usual sandwich or soup.
CAMBRIDGE | THINGS TO SEE AND DO
If you’re lucky enough to have an hour or three to spare in Cambridge, there is no end to how you can spend it:
Fitzwilliam Museum
Antiques, manuscripts, paintings; all available to view at this quintessentially English tourist attraction. A post-exhibition tea and cake in the museum café is a fitting end.
Kettle’s Yard
A country house containing an excellent collection of 20th century paintings as well as contemporary art.
College sightseeing
Wander through some of the university colleges and take in the sights: Trinity Great Court, King’s College Chapel, the Bridge of Sighs and Mathematical Bridge all await. If you’re in Cambridge in the evening, try to catch Evensong at King’s or St John’s Colleges.
Punting
Punting tours are touted throughout Cambridge but head to Magdalene Bridge if they don’t come to you. Enjoy the sights along the river as your guide presents dubious accounts of the college histories! Perfect on a sunny day with a drink in one hand and a pack of Quavers in the other.
Shopping
Cambridge is a shopper’s paradise, with shopping centre adjoining shopping centre. All the usual high street suspects can be found along Petty Curry and in the Grafton Centre with designer brands dominating inside the Grand Arcade.