Cambridge Sports and Outdoor Activities

(Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK)

The city of Cambridge comes with a good choice of sports facilities, suiting those looking to keep fit, as well as spectators hoping to catch a seasonal football match or a game of rugby. The Cambridge United Football Club serves as the city's premier soccer team, being founded in 1912 and based at the Abbey Stadium.

The River Cam runs straight through the centre, offering scenic riverside trails and a number of public houses. Cambridge is best known for its annual boat race against the rival university city of Oxford, although this famous rowing race actually takes place on the River Thames in central London, at Easter time.

Each year, the Corpus Challenge is a popular sporting event worth looking out for. First held in 1995, this challenge involves the related colleges of Corpus Christi in both Oxford and Cambridge competing in a variety of different sports, including football, rugby, badminton, lacrosse and many others, often finishing up with bar games, such as darts, pool and even table football.

Golf Courses

Cambridge Golf Club
Address: Station Road, Longstanton, Cambridge, CB24 3DS, England
Tel: +44 (0)1954 789388
Located roughly 7 miles / 11 km to the north-west of the city centre, this popular 18-hole golf course has a par of 72, a floodlit driving range with 16 bays and professional coaching. The course is arranged as two nine-hole loops, both of which finish up next to the clubhouse.

Cambridge Lakes Public Golf Course
Address: Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8FA, England
Tel: +44 (0)1223 324242
The Cambridge Lakes Public Golf Course offers nine holes and resides approximately 1.5 miles / 2 km to the south of the city, being slightly north of Trumpington. This is a popular pitch and putt course, with inexpensive equipment hire and discounts for students.

Gog Magog Golf Club
Address: Babraham Road, Shelford Bottom / Trumpington, Cambridge, CB2 4AB, England
Tel: +44 (0)1223 415391
The Gog Magog Golf Club, located next to the southerly suburb of Trumpington, features two championship courses with wonderful views of the city. Established in 1901, the aptly named Old Course comes with quite a pedigree and ranks amongst the most historic in the whole of East Anglia, while the Wandlebury Course is a more recent addition, opening in 1999.

Heydon Grange Golf Club
Address: Heydon, Royston, SG8 7NS, England
Tel: +44 (0)1763 208988
Situated in the nearby village of Heydon, roughly 25 minutes to the south, the Heydon Grange Golf Club is a large 27-hole course. With spectacular panoramic views, other attractions include a covered driving range and academy, pro instructors, a clubhouse and golfing equipment hire. The clubhouse is particularly impressive, being a fully restored 14th-century barn.

Rugby Union

Address: Grange Road, University Football Ground, Cambridge, CB3 9BN, England
Tel: +44 (0)1223 354131
The Cambridge Rugby Union Football Club is an old club established way back in the 1920s. Today, the CRUFC plays home games at the stadium on Granchester Road, while the nearby University Football Ground off Grange Road is an additional rugby union venue of note.

United Football / Soccer

Address: Newmarket Road, Abbey Stadium, Cambridge, CB5 8LN, England
Tel: +44 (0)1223 241237
Football is one of the most popular spectator sports in the city, with the main football team being Cambridge United. Regular matches take place during the football season at Abbey Stadium, which is located on the eastern side of the city, on Newmarket Road. Officially named the R. Costings Abbey Stadium, this important soccer venue can accommodate approximately 10,000 spectators and dates back to 1923.

Cricket

There are an increasing number of amateur cricket teams and societies in the county, such as both the Cambridge University Cricket Club (CUCC) and the Cambridgeshire Cricket Association.

Swimming Pools

Abbey Swimming Pool
Address: Pool Way, Cambridge, CB5 8NT, England
Tel: +44 (0)1223 213352
The Abbey Swimming Pool lies on the easterly outskirts of the city, where it features two large pools, instructors, a sauna and a well-equipped fitness centre.
Open hours: daily - 08:00 to 20:00

Parkside Swimming Pool Centre
Address: Gonville Place, Cambridge, CB1 1LY, England
Tel: +44 (0)1223 446100
Located between Downing College and Hughes Hall, the Parkside Swimming Pool Centre features two large swimming pools, water slides and flumes for children, aqua fitness lessons and swimming instructors.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 07:00 to 21:30, Saturday and Sunday - 08:00 to 17:30