Christ's Pieces
Encyclopedia
Christ's Pieces is Victorian
park in the east of central Cambridge
, England
, with flower beds and ornamental trees. The area acts as an important publicly accessible open grassed area for the city centre. It is located to the east of Christ's College
and to the north of Emmanuel College
. To the north is King Street
, to the east is Emmanuel Road, to the south is Drummer Street, and to the west is Milton's Walk.
The park
is used by pedestrians walking between the centre of the city and the Grafton Centre
(a shopping centre). In good weather, it is often used as a place for lunch outside as well. There are tennis court
s at the northwest corner of Christ's Pieces and a bowling green
in the southeast corner. The main central Cambridge Bus Station is north off Drummer Street on the southern edge of Christ's Piece near the southwest corner.
There is a Christ's Pieces Residents Association (CPRA) for local residents and others interested in maintaining the character of the surrounding area.
Milton's Walk is named after the poet John Milton
(1608–74), who was an undergraduate at Christ's College. It marks the boundary of the college with Christ's Pieces. Note the Milton Road, also in Cambridge, is named after the village of Milton
rather than the poet.
In 1886, the area was acquired from Jesus College
by the Corporation of Cambridge for the sum of £1,000. The Corporation drained the land and created the park much as it is now, although a proposed artificial lake was never created and the bandstand
no longer exists.
More recently Christ's Pieces has become more of an area of land for social gatherings, being especially popular with teenagers who group around the Princess Diana memorial. Within the local police force it is well-known as hosting regular underage drug or alcohol abuse, however this problem is on it way to being tackled.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
park in the east of central Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with flower beds and ornamental trees. The area acts as an important publicly accessible open grassed area for the city centre. It is located to the east of Christ's College
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
and to the north of Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
. To the north is King Street
King Street, Cambridge
King Street is a street in central Cambridge, England. It connects between Sussex Street heading west and Hobson Street heading south at the western end and a large roundabout to the east. It runs parallel to and south of Jesus Lane. The roads link together at a roundabout at the eastern end. To...
, to the east is Emmanuel Road, to the south is Drummer Street, and to the west is Milton's Walk.
The park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
is used by pedestrians walking between the centre of the city and the Grafton Centre
Grafton Centre
The Grafton Centre is a covered shopping centre in Cambridge, England. It is one of the three main shopping centres in Cambridge – the others are the Lion Yard and the Grand Arcade, the newest and largest of the three...
(a shopping centre). In good weather, it is often used as a place for lunch outside as well. There are tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s at the northwest corner of Christ's Pieces and a bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
in the southeast corner. The main central Cambridge Bus Station is north off Drummer Street on the southern edge of Christ's Piece near the southwest corner.
There is a Christ's Pieces Residents Association (CPRA) for local residents and others interested in maintaining the character of the surrounding area.
History
Previously, the area was used for agricultural purposes. For example, it is shown to have a cereal crop on a 1574 map. Later it become pasture land. Milton's Walk was a medieval lane, called "Christes Colledge Walke" in 1574.Milton's Walk is named after the poet John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
(1608–74), who was an undergraduate at Christ's College. It marks the boundary of the college with Christ's Pieces. Note the Milton Road, also in Cambridge, is named after the village of Milton
Milton, Cambridgeshire
Milton is a village just north of Cambridge, England. It has a population of approximately 4,300 with 3,200 being on the electoral register. It expanded considerably in the late 1980s when two large housing estates were built between the bypass and the village resulting in a doubling of the...
rather than the poet.
In 1886, the area was acquired from Jesus College
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
by the Corporation of Cambridge for the sum of £1,000. The Corporation drained the land and created the park much as it is now, although a proposed artificial lake was never created and the bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
no longer exists.
More recently Christ's Pieces has become more of an area of land for social gatherings, being especially popular with teenagers who group around the Princess Diana memorial. Within the local police force it is well-known as hosting regular underage drug or alcohol abuse, however this problem is on it way to being tackled.