'Town NOT Gown' Cambridge history tours for local residents Discover the hidden history of Cambridge with local historian & Blue Badge Guide Allan Brigham. Allan is Chairman of the Friends of the Folk Museum. He regularly speaks and writes about Cambridge. Click here for details of walking tours. Articles by Allan Brigham Romsey Recreation ground Is Town v Gown a thing of the past? Romsey Town Cambridge 1966-2006 Christ's Pieces: A year on a Cambridge park "Does Cambridge need more houses" in The Guardian 2000 - update 2009 Links to articles about Allan Brigham Interview on BBC Cambridgeshire Interview in Cambridge Evening News BBC video about Allan's honorary master's degree Cambridge Evening News account of the degree ceremony Photos of Allan Brigham Various photos

Many local people know more about villages visited on holiday in Tuscany or Yorkshire than about their home town.  These Walking Tours offer an introduction to Cambridge for all those who always meant to take a closer look, but never quite had the time.

Tours last 1 ½ to 2 hours unless specified. All welcome, children too! Group tours can be arranged for work or social groups.
You can just turn up on the day, but numbers are limited. To guarantee a place please book in advance. Please let me know if you can't come as  there is a waiting list for some tours.
To book a place or for more information, contact Allan Brigham via email townnotgown@btinternet.com

August 2nd: 19.15 - 20.45 (approx) Ely: Monks, Bishops, Fenmen & Riots An introduction to Ely. A walking tour exploring the city and its unique past. A complete contrast to Cambridge. Ely is a city shaped by the fens and dominated by the magnificent cathedral. But with its dark secrets too - what do you know about the infamous Littleport Riots ? Meet: Outside Ely Tourist Office (next to Parish Church) Cost: £6.50 - All welcome.

August 3rd: 19.30 - 21:00 Newtown: The First Suburb! From Accordia to The Panton Arms. Explore the streets around the Botanic Garden, and discover Newtown, Cambridge's first suburb. Hear how 19th century politics shaped Brooklands Avenue, and how 20th century ‘visions’ shaped Accordia. Have you visited Accordia in Brooklands Avenue ? Come and take a look: Winner of the UK's premier architectural award, the Stirling Architecture Prize, and described as ‘a post-Thatcherite development that is not afraid of communal aspirations and aesthetics.... there are village greens and strips of common land, cars are tamed not banned – this is architecture that treats adults as grown-ups and children as people with different needs." And also hear about:     The famous Cambridge architect who designed London's National Gallery,     Captain Scott, his wife and Polar exploration     How the origins of the Catholic church lay with a Portuguese glass factory.     And discover why this area was known as New Zealand ?!   Meet: Brooklands Avenue ( entrance to Accordia). End: Panton Arms, Panton Street Cost: £6.50 - All welcome.