John Cleese

The British actor famed for his roles in Monty Python and Fawlty Towers as well as films such as A Fish Called Wanda and the Harry Potter franchise, John Cleese was originally accepted into Cambridge University in 1958. Cleese chose to read law at Downing College but when National Service ended, universities across the UK were inundated with students and Cleese had to put off his studies until 1960. When Cleese finally began his studies he attempted to join the infamous Footlights but was initially turned down until his material was used on a TV show called I Thought I Saw It Move. Cleese went on to meet with Graham Chapman at the university and the partnership proved to be one of the most influential things that catapulted Cleese into the spotlight. Cleese graduated with an impressive 2:1 and immediately accepted a job at the BBC.

Rachel Weisz

The popular British actress that is famous for her roles in blockbuster movies such as The Mummy, About a Boy and The Constant Gardener began her acting career in Trinity Hall at Cambridge University. Whilst living in Cambridgeshire, Weisz co-founded Cambridge Talking Tongues, which was a theatrical group that was awarded some coveted accolades including the Student Drama Award by The Guardian. She was often seen wandering the streets in the city when she wasn’t studying and her family is known to have had a house in Cambridgeshire while she was studying.

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking was the Lucasian Professor for Mathematics at the University of Cambridge for 30 years, before retiring from the role in 2009. After studying at a very young age at Oxford, Hawking moved to Cambridge to study Cosmology and gained his Ph.D. before becoming a Research Fellow and then a Professional Fellow at both Gonville and Caius College. Hawking lives in Cambridge and has three children as well as three grandchildren. His academic awards include a grand total of 12 honorary degrees!

Syd Barrett

One of the more modern-day residents of Cambridge was Syd Barrett, who is famous for being one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. The rock musician was often spotted around the city and he lived in a house that can be found just off Cherry Hinton Road where he was known to frequent Maido House, the local Chinese takeaway! The house once belonged to his now deceased mother and before his death in 2006, Barrett was well known in the local area for hating the attention he received from local paparazzi.

Jeffrey Archer

Archer was born in London and raised in Somerset but now resides in Cambridge. He is married to Dr Mary Archer who is the chairman for the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation that is part of the Rosie Hospital and the Addenbrooke’s Hospital in the city. Archer can often be spotted in the local pubs and shops and he was once quoted for saying that Cambridge is the best city to live in. His Cambridge home covers immense acreage, complete with bridges, extensive gardens and a river even runs past the front door!

Cambridge was also home to Olivia Newton-John before her rise to fame in Grease and Winston Churchill while comedian Rory McGrath, Stephen Fry, Clive James and Terry Waite also have or have had homes in Cambridge. Either for its beautiful scenery or stunning architecture, Cambridge is appealing to a wide range of people from all walks of life…