Cambridge 1950 home page | legal notice
The most interesting thing about the map below is that it reminds us that cities are dynamic. Every Cambridge resident who complains about growth and wants to keep all newcomers out (and there are unbelievably many people who boldly state this view) should reflect on the fact that once upon a time they were a newcomer, and the road on which they live once did not exist.
The map shows the massive development near the railway station once the railway came to Cambridge in the 1840s. The extensive development north of the river in the 19th century was due partly to lower taxation there and partly to the building of Victoria Avenue Bridge in 1890.
The railway lines at the top left, heading towards St Ives, and at the bottom left, heading towards Oxford, are no longer in use. The St Ives route is about to be resuscitated at great public expense for "guided buses" (buses being the current flavour of the month by Cambridge transport planners). The Oxford line is now part used for radio telescopes, which allowed some great contributions to 20th century science. There is some attempt to resuscitate (some of) this line for rail at even greater public expense.
Cambridge 1950 home page | legal notice