History

Cambridge is steeped in an interesting and remarkable history that has shaped the way the city is today. Known for having produced some of the greatest minds, this city is an inspirational place to learn English.

The River Cam (or Granta as it was previously named) winds its way through an area of extensive marshland known as The Fens, yet people first established communities in the region over two thousand years ago. Iron Age tribes built the first settlement near to what is now Castle Hill, creating a convenient ‘bridge’ over the river. About a hundred years later, the Romans invaded and seized the settlement turning it into a town. They used it as a crossing point for the Via Devana to link other towns in the North with Colchester in the South.

After the Romans, the Saxons took hold of Cambridge and further extended the parameters of the town. The tower of St Benedict’s Church (or St Bene’t’s as it is known in Cambridge) dates from this period and is therefore the oldest surviving building in the city. It can be found just 2 minutes away from EC Cambridge.