Cambridge Market Square c.1900
Cambridge Market Place c.1900.
This is an old photograph of Cambridge Market Place c.1900 - part of the reveal of old photographs from an old photo album from over 100years ago.
You can see more HERE
We should be able to track down what event this was as it is certainly packed with spectators. There are people standing on whatever they can to get a good view and there are many people leaning from windows surrounding the scene - I like this chap who seems to have realised that someone is taking a photograph and he turns to look:
The Market Place branch of Hobsons Conduit was completed in 1614 and a fountain built to access the fresh water.
The Market Square had to be redeveloped after the fire of 1849, the original Hobsons Conduit fountain structure was moved to Lensfield Road/Trumpington Road - where it remains today.
Soon after in 1855, the grand Gothic Revival fountain structure, which you can see in the picture above, was built.
This structure lasted 100 years, when in 1955 it was deemed to be unsafe and had to be taken down. The base of that fountain remains and is still in the centre of the market place - the rest of the structure was moved to the yard of the Cambridge and County Folk Museum - now Cambridge Museum, where it can still be seen today. The fountain water supply was cut off in the 1960’s when the Lion Yard shopping centre was being built.
