Market Square
Market Square, also known as Market Hill, is the marketplace at the heart of Cambridge. The site has been used as a market since Saxon times, and a daily outdoor market with stalls still runs there, beside Great St Mary's, the University Church.
In practice
The square was once largely filled with buildings and was cleared after a major fire in 1849. A Gothic Revival fountain was put up in 1855, and most of it was demolished in 1953. The square also saw one of the sharpest clashes between town and University: during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, a crowd led by the Mayor of Cambridge destroyed the University's ledgers here. Today the City Council says it supports around 200 independent traders across its city-centre markets, trading every day of the week.
Why it matters to newcomers
The market is the easiest place to see Cambridge as a working town rather than a collection of Colleges: fresh produce, food stalls and everyday shopping in the middle of the historic centre. It is also a simple meeting point to give a visitor who does not know the city.
Related
- Town and gown - the rivalry the square has witnessed
- Parker's Piece - the town's large open common nearby
- Cambridge markets and food culture guide
Sources: Market Hill, Cambridge; Markets, Cambridge City Council.