Regent Street, Cambridge facts for kids
Regent Street is a busy street in the heart of Cambridge, England. It connects St Andrew's Street in the northwest to Hills Road in the southeast. This street is an important route for traffic in the city.
Right next to Regent Street, you'll find Regent Terrace, which runs parallel to it. Beyond Regent Terrace is Parker's Piece, a large grassy park perfect for relaxing or playing.
What's on Regent Street?
One of the biggest colleges of the famous University of Cambridge is located on the southwestern side of Regent Street. This college is called Downing College. It has beautiful buildings and grounds.
Water for Cambridge: Hobson's Conduit
Long ago, in 1631, a special water system was built to bring fresh water to parts of Cambridge. It was called the St Andrew's Street branch of Hobson's Conduit. This system helped provide water to the eastern side of the city. The water flowed from a source in the south, along Lensfield Road, then Regent Terrace, and finally to St Andrew's Street.
A Home for Women Students
In 1871, something important happened on Regent Street for women's education. A man named Henry Sidgwick, who was a teacher at Trinity, worked with Anne Clough and Eleanor Balfour. They bought a house at 74 Regent Street.
This house was used to provide a place for five young women to live. These students wanted to attend university lectures but lived too far away. This was a big step for women's education in Cambridge. The next year, this group moved to a different house. By 1875, the first official building for Newnham College was built at its current location. Newnham College became one of the first colleges for women at Cambridge University.
