Magdalene Street

Magdalene Street is a street in the north of central Cambridge, England. It runs between Castle Street, by Castle Hill, at the junction with Northampton Street and Chesterton Lane, then Chesterton Road (the A1303), to the northwest and Bridge Street at the junction with Thompson's Lane to the southeast.

The road straddles the River Cam on Magdalene Bridge (built 1823), just south of Magdalene College (hence the name) and just north of St John's College, one of the largest University of Cambridge colleges.

History

Magdalene Street used to be the northwestern part of Bridge Street. It developed as the northern approach to the river crossing for entering Cambridge. The first crossing was as a ford and this was built up as causeways by the Romans. Eventually a bridge was built across the Cam, giving Cambridge its name. The hilltop on the northwest bank helped protect the crossing point and ensured that Cambridge became a major inland port. The area around the river area became the site for coaching inns, factories, merchants' houses, and warehouses, making use of the river’s resources and the trade at the crossing point.