Why Cambridge?

Why Cambridge?

Møller Institute is just a a 5 minute cycle from central Cambridge and located in 42 acres of beautiful parkland, in the grounds of Churchill College in the University of Cambridge.

Around 20,000 delegates come through our doors every year and many, especially those on residential programmes, take advantage of their stay with us to explore Cambridge, one of the UK’s most-visited and loved cities. Cambridge is a compact city and nearly all the activities listed below are within a short (20 minute) walk of Møller Institute, and as you’ll soon discover, there’s much more to Cambridge than punting, cycling and the University of Cambridge.

Our short guide to Cambridge

For the curious

For the curious minds, Cambridge has a selection of museums and galleries for those looking to develop their critical thinking, empathy, and other important life skills and dispositions.

Here are a few highlights we can recommend:

  • The Fitzwilliam Museum, which houses world-class collections of art and antiquities spanning centuries and civilisations. (University of Cambridge Museum, free to enter)
  • The newly re-opened Kettle’s Yard is a beautiful house with a remarkable collection of modern art and a gallery that hosts modern and contemporary art exhibitions. (University of Cambridge Museum, free to enter)
  • In the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences where you can view around two million minerals, rocks and fossils. (University of Cambridge Museum, free to enter)
  • The University Museum of Zoology displays thousands of specimens spanning the entire animal kingdom, from elephants, giant ground sloths and giraffes, to birds, reptiles, insects and molluscs. (University of Cambridge Museum, free to enter)
  • We also have a wide range of sculpture trails, art and other smaller galleries including the Centre for Computing History and the Polar Museum, Scott Polar Research Institute
  • A 10 minute drive down the M11 is Duxford Imperial War Museum where you can get up close to over a century of aviation with hundreds of aircraft and objects on display as well as witness aircraft take to the skies from the airfield that Spitfires first flew
  • A 30 minute drive away is Newmarket, the global centre for horseracing. We can organise visits to the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art where you can enjoy a vibrant sports museum, a unique art gallery of British sporting art and a live horse experience.

For the thespians

Cambridge is awash with theatre and performance, drama, dance and shows, in fact, the Møller Institute uses professional actors to coach teams and individuals to develop confidence in communications and presentation skills. Theatre lovers are spoiled in Cambridge with the Junction, Cambridge Arts Theatre; Corn Exchange; Mumford Theatre; East Road Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and the ADC Theatre. There is something for everyone from the famous Footlights student theatre to touring and West End shows, and of course the pantomime. The University of Cambridge is the alma mater of Mitchell and Webb, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, John Cleese and Ian McKellan. If it’s the latest blockbuster movie you are after then Cambridge has three cinemas – the Vue, the Arts Picturehouse and the Light Cinema IMAX.

For the musical

Kings College Chapel is known globally for its Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at Christmas. During the rest of the year, Choral Evensong happens here most days during term time, as it does in many other college chapels – and our team can organise a trip to any of these which are free and open to everyone. There’s no need to restrict your outdoor activity to the 42 acres of parkland here at Møller Institute, in the spring, summer and autumn Cambridge is buzzing with al fresco music performances on Parkers Piece, Jesus Green, College gardens, the University of Cambridge’s Botanic Gardens and many other green spaces. We have the world-famous Folk Festival in June, The Big Weekend in July and the Secret Garden Party festivals in August. Our live music venues range from the theatres listed above who can boast global pop stars and internationally acclaimed orchestras to more intimate live music in vibrant bars and venues across the city.

For those with a ‘Growth Mindset’

Developing a growth mindset might be the focus of your leadership development programme with the Møller Institute, but the Cambridge University Botanic Gardens is focused on growing an incredible variety of plant species from all over the world in its stunning 40-acre garden. It’s a tranquil oasis in which to while away an afternoon, and even in the depths of winter, a walk round the glasshouses will impress even the least green-fingered visitor with plants ranging from diminutive, high altitude alpines, to impressive tropical trees.

For the shopaholics

Cambridge is a neat city with a pretty impressive range of shops including all the usual high street brands and designer labels. We have two main shopping centres, the Grand Arcade and Grafton Centre, which are nestled in amongst boutique and independent shops, chic cafes, bars, . You can browse a range of crafts and stalls in the bustling seven-days-a-week market and enjoy a more leisurely perusal of the open-air All Saints Garden Art and Craft Market on a Saturday.

There are over 60 premium and high street brands to welcome you including a flagship John Lewis department store, Debenhams, Apple, Disney, Tiger, The White Company, Yo! Sushi; Hollister, Superdry, Hotel Chocolat, Carluccio’s, Kurt Geiger, Waterstones, Heffers, Topshop; Jamaca Blue and River Island. Slightly out of the centre is Mill Road, a more bohemian option with a diverse range of restaurants and shops. Further afield, in a field, is Burwash Manor, Barton, a country-chic boutique shopping oasis set in converted farm buildings in a picture postcard Cambridgeshire village.

For the active – cycling and punting

Clearly cycling and punting are iconic Cambridge clichés. We have a fleet of Møller bikes which can be hired from Reception so you can get on the excellent network of cycle paths in and around the city. The centre of Cambridge is five minute cycle from Møller Institute. Our Reception team can organise punting trips on the River Cam. You can punt along The Backs (the back of the Colleges) and even out to Grantchester, once famous as the home of poet Rupert Brooke and for the Pink Floyd song ‘Grantchester Meadows’, now famous for now of course famous for the ITV drama Grantchester. If you are looking for an energy boost after all this, then check out the fabulous Fitzbillies on Trumpington Street or Magdelene Bridge and tuck into one of their famous Chelsea Buns (these sticky buns are for those with a sweet tooth, large appetite and are not counting the calories)

For the foodies

The best food in Cambridge is clearly served by the Møller Institute, but if you are looking to get out and explore all that Cambridge has to offer, we suggest starting on the vibrant Mill Road, Cambridge’s coolest street with its multi-cultural delights including tagine from Morocco; curry from India and bibimbap rice dishes from Korea. Cambridge has huge range of eateries and street food and the Cambridge News recently published this guide to the 46 restaurants their readers, editors and other foodies in the city recommend. From leading vegan restaurant Stem & Glory to the self-styled Meat-Bread-Beer of the Pint Shop – Cambridge has something for everyone, and don’t talk to us about local provenance of steak in Cambridge, some of it’s parks are home to gentle cows nibbling on the grass, and with it being Cambridge, they even have their own Twitter account: @CambridgeCow.

And finally… drinks anyone?

Don’t feel guilty here, you’re in Cambridge, the announcement of the discovery of DNA was made in a Cambridge pub. If you’re ready for a beer or a G&T, there are plenty of historic pubs in Cambridge with more than a sprinkling of new craft ale emporiums – Møller favourites include the Cambridge Brew House; the Pint Shop; the Eagle and the Punter all within a 20 minute walk of the Centre. We now have the Gin Laboratory owned and operated by the world famous Cambridge Distillery, the Gin Lab contains a dedicated classroom, shop, tasting lounge and private hire room.

Top 5 things our team can arrange for you in Cambridge:

  • Champagne punting tour along the backs
  • Kings College Chapel tour
  • Dinner in a traditional Cambridge College or restaurant
  • Walking tour – Architectural /ghost tour
  • Bike hire

For help and advice on making the most of your stay in Cambridge please call Michelle , Katharine or Deborah on +44 (0)1223 465 500

Other things to tick off you Cambridge check-list: