Overview

Parker's Piece is the wide, public, square grass area just south of the city centre, overlooked by the University Arms Hotel, Gonville Hotel and Parkside swimming pool. The municipal authorities bought the land from Trinity College in 1613; at that time, college cook Edward Parker was leasing it for farming and his name has stuck. The Piece is the setting for several local fairs but really comes into its own in the summer months as informal venue for countless rounders games, cricket matches, football, and evening drinks. Visit the Cambridge and County Folk Museum on Castle Street to view a picture depicting the feast held on Parker's Piece to celebrate Queen Victoria's jubilee.