On Saturday 18 October Castle Hill will be throwing open its doors for a day filled with family friendly activities, talks, tours, games and music, to showcase the oldest area of Cambridge and its wealth of cultural offerings.
New events for this year include a family marquee at St Giles, a centenary exhibition at the Methodist Church and tours of former pubs and breweries by the Campaign for Real Ale.
All venues will open their doors for free for the day. Visitors can discover the remarkable buildings and collections and there will also be a packed programme of events for all ages. No need to book, just turn up and enjoy.
Kettle's Yard archivist, Freida Midgley, will unveil first world war related material from the archive, including letters from war artists. Issam Kourbaj will discuss his installation in St Peter’s Church, ‘In Memoriam’, and artists Karen Guthrie & Nina Pope talk about their exhibition.
Refreshments will be available at St Giles and at the Museum of Cambridge vintage style tearoom. We’re delighted that joining us this year is popular local purveyor of quality fast food ‘Steak & Honour’, serving proper burgers made with local produce.
The Castle Hill area of Cambridge is where the city began in Roman times. The Roman city of Duroliponte was located here and there is even evidence of some pre-Roman activity. The 17th Century timber framed building that contains the wonderful and varied collections of the Museum of Cambridge is next to Kettle's Yard, a beautiful building that houses one of the UK’s most remarkable collections of 20th century art. Opposite Kettle's Yard is St Peter’s, a simple, tiny church with an elegant spire. Originally built in the 11th Century and with Roman tiles in its walls, it is now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. On the other side of Castle Street is St Giles’, an active church with a history going back to 1092.
A short walk up the hill, Castle Street Methodist Church celebrates its centenary this year. The church is situated on a site developed during the Roman occupation and the current chapel was built in 1914. Nearby is the Castle Mound, the site of Cambridge Castle, which played an important role in the Civil War, refortified by Oliver Cromwell in 1642. Shire Hall, now occupied by the County Council was the site of the city jail and bricks from the jail walls were used in the building. Deep beneath the council buildings you will discover the former nuclear bunker. The County Council has converted the space to store significant items from its archaeological collections. Returning to the present day, the Museum of Cambridge and Kettle's Yard run lively programmes of events relating to social history and to contemporary and modern art.
Further information available here
Explore the history, heritage and art of the Castle Hill area of Cambridge – from the Romans to the present day.
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