Our travel journal is coming to an end with our last full day in Cambridge on Friday the 13th of March. First thing that morning we walked to The Locker Cafe on King St. After we arrived and ordered it became quite busy.
This day would turn out to be a blustery cold day and our coats stayed on.
We ordered the Shakshuka and it was delicious.
After breakfast we walked to the Market area of Cambridge to see if St. Edward King and Martyr church was open before their scheduled mass at 10:30. We wanted to pop in before mass started.
Along this passageway Greg spotted our first dinky door!
Some of Cambridge’s most charming architecture is tucked away at ankle level. Since 2019, an anonymous couple has been working toward their mission of “Saving the World” by installing little portals to whimsical delight throughout Cambridge.
You can see why they are easy to miss. Can you see it?
You can read about dinky doors here.
The church played a unique role in the early days of the Reformation. A group of evangelicals in Cambridge, of whom Thomas Bilney was the first, had been meeting regularly in the early 1520s. They were influenced by a fresh translation of the New Testament by Erasmus and by the ideas of Luther, and they believed passionately in the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ.
At the Christmas Midnight Mass here in 1525, Robert Barnes preached what is thought to be the first openly evangelical sermon to be preached in any church in the country, proclaiming the Christian Gospel and accusing the Church of its heresies. This event led to St. Edward’s often being called the cradle of the Reformation in England.
Other reformers preached regularly at St. Edward’s, including Hugh Latimer until he left Cambridge in 1531. Some of his sermons preached here have been preserved, and the pulpit from which the reformers preached is still in use today.
Barnes and Latimer were both put to death for their beliefs. As he comforted Nicholas Ridley at the stake in Oxford. Latimer said ‘Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.’
These windows are in honor Thomas Bilney and Hugh Latimer
To the Glory of God and to honour those from this Parish who in the years 1523 to 1525 met near by at the White Horse Inn and there sought out the principles of the English Reformation Thomas Bilney + 1531 – Robert Barnes + 1540 – Hugh Latimer + 1555 who through faith quenched the violence of fire.
Since mass was about to start we didn’t take a lot of photos or hang around for long but we were happy to put more pieces together of the history of the Reformation in England.
Making our way next to ‘Bodies in the Bookshop’ we came across this bookshop that was not open.
The wind and the cold prompted us to pop into any shop along the way that looked interesting. We were thankful that there was no rain! As it turned out the Bodies in the Bookshop would not open till noon so we made the quick decision to pop into Fitzbillies and enjoy some hot tea. Greg started to feel under the weather and a spot of tea sounded good.
We were happy to get a seat far from the front door.
Greg opted for tea and a scone but I went for the classic Afternoon Tea.
When in Rome as the saying goes…
I didn’t want to leave England without enjoying High Tea.
Earlier in the week we did partake of the famous ‘Fitzbillies Chelsea Bun’. I neglected to take a photo of them.
We enjoyed our food leisurely knowing we’d be out in the cold again.
The bookshop opened while we were having our tea so we backtracked to peruse the offerings.
We bought a used book by Elizabeth Goudge and a gift book and then started our trek back to our lodgings.
We managed to find two more dinky doors. We heard there are at least 14 of them sprinkled around town.
Before making it all the way back to our lodgings we stopped at the Round Church which was finally open when we passed by. That post I’ll save for another time.
After the Round Church Greg retired for the afternoon and evening in our aparthotel room. He was not feeling well. I ventured back out and about to see what I could see.
I wandered about taking photos.
I popped into a church, I passed along the way…
St. Ephraim Orthodox Parish
In looking up this church now that I’m home I found out the history of it.
On December 2, 2023, celebrations were held dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the founding of the parish of the Sourozh diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in honour of St. Ephraim the Syrian in Cambridge, UK.
I didn’t realize I had stepped into a Russian Orthodox Church. I learn so much after the fact! I knew it was an Orthodox church and different from other churches we have visited in the U.K.
Via Crucis Via Lucis ~The Way of the Cross, The Way of Light
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum ~ May the Peace of the Lord be always with you.
Before I joined Greg for the evening, I popped into Pizza Express and ordered a pizza to go for us to have in our room.
One more post coming up for the finale of our time in Cambridge, England. Thank you for traveling along with us.
“But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.”
From Karen:
Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
From Willow:
Psalm 106:3
Blessed are they who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times!