Each year, Open Cambridge offers a unique mix of events celebrating the heritage and culture of Cambridge and the county beyond. From 6-15 September enjoy guided tours, exhibitions, open gardens and buildings, and much more and celebrate the heritage, community and history of one of the world’s most iconic cities and its county.
The following offers a sneak peek of what’s on offer this year: from a guided tour around the radio telescopes that you may have spotted in the fields around Barton, a tour around the burial ground of one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century, three Nobel prizewinners and the discoverer of Neptune, an open day at the museum which tells the extraordinary stories of ordinary people in Cambridge and the hidden World War Two airfield in Bottisham you probably didn’t know about, as well as the chance to visit some of the glorious College libraries and gardens.
In an Open Cambridge first, explore the rich history of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (7 September). Enjoy a tour around the site where Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered the first radio pulsars in 1967, look inside the deserted control rooms and find out more about what the radio telescopes are used for. Located west of the city at the disused Lord’s Bridge railway station, the observatory is home to largest and most advanced aperture synthesis radio telescopes in the world, including the One-Mile Telescope, 5-km Ryle Telescope, and the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager.
Making a welcome return to the Open Cambridge programme, join historian Professor Mark Goldie, Emeritus Professor of History and a Fellow of Churchill College, for a tour of the Ascension Parish Burial Ground on Huntingdon Road. A Cambridge Necropolis (7/10 September) will take you on a tour of one of Cambridge’s best kept secrets. Explore the burial place of one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century, Ludwig Wittgenstein, of three Nobel prizewinners (who split the atom, identified vitamins, and decoded haemoglobin), of the discoverer of the planet Neptune, of founding figures in economics and anthropology, of the astrophysicist who demonstrated Einstein’s theory, of a clutch of Darwins, and of women pioneers in higher education: in all, ninety people who have entries in Britain’s Dictionary of National Biography.
Each year we’re delighted to be able to offer curated and unique tours of the American Battle Monument Commission’s Cambridge American Cemetery. This year learn more about the tens of thousands of Americans who came over to East Anglia during the Second World War as part of a huge network of airfields across the region (7/8/14/15 September). But who built them? Who flew from them? Perhaps you have heard the phrase, ‘thousand bomber raids’? Did you ever wonder where the aircraft came from? Book on to one of their excellent guided tours to hear the stories of the American’s who built the airfields and flew from them.
We are delighted that the Museum of Cambridge will be opening their doors on Thursday 12 September for FREE! Discover the extraordinary stories of the ordinary people of Cambridge and explore the 16th-century coaching Inn and see what life was like throughout the history of Cambridge. While you’re there, visit the temporary exhibition, 'The Stories Behind the Stitches' to learn about the link between crafting and wellbeing, and explore over 400 years of social history.
Enjoy free entry to Bottisham Airfield Museum (8/11/15 September) and see the collection of artefacts telling the personal stories of some of those based at the airfield. Bottisham was unique as the only airfield to host three different Air Forces, during World War II. Come and find out about Alex Macmillan- a fighter pilot who was shot down whilst flying from Bottisham and was taken to Stalag Luft III - you can see a new exhibit; a recreation of a POW hut like the ones in the Great Escape. Free entry must be booked in advance.
The Colleges are one of the biggest draws for people when visiting the city. During this year’s Open Cambridge, several will open their doors to reveal a wealth of treasures. Come for an introduction to Selwyn College's history and a look at its archives (10 September) or visit The Lawrence Room at Girton College (14 September) and discover Roman and Anglo-Saxon grave goods discovered on the college site itself sit alongside artefacts from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece donated by college members over the years.
One of the most significant surviving renaissance libraries in Europe, Corpus Christi’s gorgeous Parker Library, will also be open (12 September). Visitors will have a chance to see the old library and view our current exhibition with some of the collection highlights on display. There will be demonstrations of how manuscripts were assembled and are conserved today by the Cambridge Colleges’ Conservation Consortium.
The stunning Old Library at St John’s College (14 September) will open their doors for one day only an exhibition on the relationship between paper and plants, with a show-and-tell corner exploring the various ways in which books are made.
One of Christopher Wren’s great masterpieces of architecture, the Wren Library at Trinity College, will also be opening its doors (6/7/9/10/11/12/13/14 September). This year see a special exhibition celebrating the bicentenary of Byron's death, exploring his network of friends, the connections across the publishing landscape of his works, and the routes of his travel. There will also be a specially curated exhibition of books about plants and gardening in the early modern world.
Avid gardeners amongst you will enjoy the gardens of Girton College (6/9/12/13 September), Wolfson College (10 September) and Robinson College (13/14 September) on a guided tour with their respective Head Gardeners.
If you are looking for a walking tour of the city, then we have plenty to choose from. Cambridge Green Guides are offering tours exploring the city’s rich history in film, sound and cinematography (13 September), Cambridge’s first suburb and home to the once biggest fair in Europe, Old Barnwell (9/12 September) as well as a tour of the history of Cambridge in French (12/14 September).
For those interested in a different tour of Cambridge, the Uncomfortable Cambridge tour (6/8/10/12 September) engages with historical memory and highlights diverse stories in the beautiful city centre. These tours, led by university researchers, provide attendees with a good introduction to the city, while going beyond the traditional narratives by highlighting histories of race, gender, class, and disability, while raising uncomfortable questions about the lasting legacies of empire.
Speaking ahead of the programme launch, Open Cambridge Manager, Zoe Smith said:
“As usual, this year’s Open Cambridge programme has something for everyone to enjoy. This selection of highlights shows the huge breadth of events that should appeal to all sorts of interests.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to secure tours of the Mullard Radio Telescope Observatory, a first for Open Cambridge as well as seeing favorites such as the American Cemetery and Bottisham Airfield Museum returning.
“We see it every year, but events get booked up fast! So, make sure you’re signed up to our mailing list and get online on Monday 12 August at 10am to book.”
Find out more: https://www.opencambridge.cam.ac.uk
Image: Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
