Where is Cambridge?
Cambridge is a major city in Cambridgeshire, located north of London and west of Suffolk. It’s situated near Peterborough, Bedford and Luton, and is surrounded by many countryside towns including St Neots, Huntingdon, and Newmarket. From Cambridge you can get to Dedham Vale and the Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscapes within a 2-hour drive.
Transport in Cambridge
Cambridge is known as the British ‘capital of cycling’ thanks to its bicycle-friendly infrastructure. There are numerous bike racks across the city, as well as bike hire outlets and cycling lanes, making it easy to travel the city via bike.
Alternatively, Cambridge has its own bus station, where you can catch services into Bedford, Huntingdon, Newmarket and St Neots, as well as a Park & Ride service to get you around the city. The city’s train station is located on Station Road and runs regular services into London, Birmingham, Brighton and more.
Shopping in Cambridge
The biggest shopping centre in Cambridge is the Grand Arcade on St Andrew’s Street, an indoor mall with shops such as Beaverbrooks, JD Sports, John Lewis, Pandora, Swarovski, and Oliver Bonas. Retail parks are available at the Beehive Centre and the Cambridge Retail Park, where larger stores like B&Q, TK Maxx, and Hobbycraft are located. As for more traditional retail, the city has a daily market in Cambridge Market Square with stalls for plants, jewellery, books, clothes, music, art, and street food.
Things to do in Cambridge
Cambridge is home to a range of museums. Tech enthusiasts can visit The Centre for Computing History and the Cambridge Museum of Technology, while those interested in history can go to Cambridge’s Castle Hill, The Polar Museum, the Whipple Museum of the History of Science, or The Fitzwilliam Museum. The Museum of Cambridge is located just next to Fellows’ Gardens.
Punting is also a popular activity for locals and tourists, with self-hire and private tours available along the River Cam.
Residents can also enjoy entertainment in the form of tenpin bowling and escape rooms.
The best places to buy new homes in Cambridge
Cambridge is a wonderful place to buy a new home, especially if you’re looking for amenities within cycling distance. As a relatively small city, everything is well connected, with schools, jobs, and activities all contained within the span of a few miles.
A house in or around Cambridge could be the perfect move, whether you’re upgrading to a family home or looking to retire close to the local amenities.
Elsenham
Situated south of Cambridge, the village of Elsenham is a pleasant place to live, with rural surroundings and historic attractions to enjoy. It’s the ideal spot to set up a life in proximity to the city but away from the hustle and bustle.
Our new homes in Elsenham are located at the midway point between Cambridge and London, giving you road access to both cities along the M11. Bordering Bishops Stortford, these new builds near Cambridge sit just north of London Stansted Airport, putting international travel within easy reach.
Chesterton
Chesterton is a city-centre adjacent suburb surrounded by the largest of Cambridge’s green spaces. Stourbridge Common, Ditton Meadows, and the Midsummer Common are all within walking distance, while central Cambridge is located just across the River Cam.
It’s the perfect setting for anyone who wants to live close to the city centre but would appreciate plenty of green spaces near home. Cambridge North train station is only 23 minutes’ walk from Chesterton, meaning it’s well connected for both commutes and weekend trips.
St Ives
The town of St Ives is located 30 minutes’ drive away northwest of Cambridge. It’s a pleasant riverside town with several gyms, a museum, a secondary school, and a golf course, as well as plenty of nearby countryside walking routes. It’s known for its historical medieval architecture, weekday markets and scenic surroundings. Its beauty, amenities and proximity to Cambridge make it an attractive place to find a new home.
Looking to buy a new build in Cambridge?
Cambridge is a good choice for those who would prefer a cycling and walking-based lifestyle. If you’d like to reach your workplace, gym, or your children’s schools on a bicycle rather than in a car, a new build near Cambridge could be the perfect place to call home.
Arrange an appointment with us to view our new houses in Cambridge today.
Where is Abingdon?
Abingdon is situated 5 miles south of Oxford, being one of the radial towns around the city, alongside Witney and Kidlington, both of which are within 35 minutes' drive of Abingdon. The market town is also sandwiched between the national parks of the North Wessex Downs and the Chilterns.
Transport in Abingdon
Radley is the station of choice for those living in Abingdon with the Radley being the nearest station to the town. About 10 minutes' drive away, from Radley station you can catch services to the likes of Didcot and Oxford, with it taking less than 10 minutes to get from Radley to Oxford by train. And there's a regular service operated by CrossCountry that gets you from Oxford to London Paddington in about an hour. It takes a little under 2 hours to drive from Abingdon to London via the M4.
Shopping in Abingdon
Abingdon has a thriving market district located around Market Place, close to County Hall. Events vary throughout the year, ranging from a monthly farmers' market where you can buy artisan goods to Abingdon's very own Local Excellence Markets. You'll also find several independent retailers in the town, including the Lewis Baker hardware shop, a European grocery store at Polski Sklep Zubr, and the Clockwork Dragon game shop.
Things to do in Abingdon
One of Abingdon's highlights is the Abbey Garden – a historic site, home to a landscape park, a formal garden, and the ruins of Trendell's Folly. There are also a number of quirky attractions in the area, including the miniature village dioramas at the Pendon Museum, the trees on display at the Harcourt Arboretum, and the steam trains operated by the Didcot Railway Centre. In nearby Oxford, you'll find a number of attractions too, ranging from the Oxford Botanic Garden to the Pitt Rivers ethnographic museum, the Ashmolean art museum to the enigmatic Story Museum.
Popular places to live in and around Abingdon
Abingdon is an ideally situated town, with its proximity to the bustling city of Oxford – providing those needing to regularly commute to and from the city with somewhere to live that doesn't have to be in the city itself. There are also a number of towns and villages on the outskirts of Abingdon that make for ideal homes too. Here are just a few:
Caldecott
Caldecott is a riverside neighbourhood in the southern part of Abingdon. In terms of commuting, Caldecott is about 13 minutes' drive from Culham's railway station and 19 minutes from Didcot Parkway.
Marcham
Marcham is ideal if you're after a place with a more village-like feel. This small village is just 10 minutes down the road from Abingdon and offers residents a small but warm and welcoming community, as well as a well-regarded local school. It takes about 20 minutes to drive from Marcham to Oxford via the A34. Explore some of the properties we have available in Marcham.
Radley
A village about 10 minutes' out from Abingdon, one of Radley's main selling points is the fact that it has its very own train station that provides an easy route to Oxford. However, Radley also has much to offer in its own right, including a much-loved community centre, a school, a sixth form college, and a small book exchange. A lovely, friendly place to call home.
Considering living in or around Abingdon?
If you'd like to find out more about the new homes we have available in or around Abingdon, book an appointment today
