An outpost of empire

That is to say the Station Tavern of Cambridge, a proud member of the Youngs family of Wandsworth. Part of the redevelopment of the area around Cambridge Railway Station, for which see reference 1. 

To kick off, entering the precinct from the Hills Road railway bridge end, we were greeted by the bollard above, presumably containing, or once containing, something electrical, contrasting oddly with the rest of the precinct.

The view down to the Italianate booking hall of the railway station, just about visible to the right of the bus and now, after various vicissitudes, once again the booking hall. Albeit rather dwarfed by its surroundings. Student accommodation blocks right and left. To think that just beyond the bus one used to have the rather seedy station hotel, home to all kinds of steamy goings on according to adolescent gossip. There was also a flour mill, for which see below and reference 2.

Quite busy outside and after sampling the outside we moved inside to eat. I opted for the bavette au champignon du pré, a variety of beef which seems to have become a must-have menu item in places of this sort since we first came across it in darkest Devon, quite near an electricity sub-station and noticed at reference 3. Maybe it has dethroned belly pork, another once cheap cut, which swept across the fine dining world, across the world of pub grub, a few years ago.

Quite highly flavoured but quite eatable and coming with an impressive amount of goo, which had the added and important virtue of being confined to its pots. The chips, as I recall, were rather good.

Staff very young and cheerful, clientèle more mixed.

As we left, I noticed a young couple working their way through a mixed platter which seemed to consist of sausage rolls, Scotch eggs and other stuff of that sort. Maybe a splash of lettuce. Perhaps they needed refueling.

Some outdoor art. Being very arty art, I presume that the wrapping is all part of the performance. I don't remember looking closely enough to check whether the rope is built in or added on after, but zooming suggests that the rope is real enough and after. 

Odd that some young drunk has not taken his clasp knife to it one dark evening.

What is left of the flour mill, complete with its Italianate trim. A slightly less ornate version of what you get on the water towers of the Epsom cluster of (mental) hospitals, perhaps part of the same wave of architectural fashion. That apart, all very Vauxhall, with Gail's taking the spot bottom right which used to be the Station Hotel, mentioned above.

As seen from the eastern parapet of the Hills Road Bridge. A fairly serious fence, and a few police vans, so perhaps a facility shared between British Transport Police and Network Rail. Described today by gmaps as 'Cambridge power signal box of excellence'.

While from the western parapet we had some more outdoor art, thoughtfully provided by AstraZeneca. I had thought previously noticed, but I failed to find anything today.

And so back to Travelodge, complete with buffet breakfast and RingGo parking. My second parking app! And our car may be the one that is third from the left on the bottom row, even though I can't pick out any of the identifying dents, even with zoom. But a very useful and reasonably priced hotel for all that - even if their booking system was giving me system errors this afternoon.

A bridge that I may have bused over two thousand times and cycled over one thousand times. A bridge from which I once spotted one of the last steam locomotives to work Cambridge Station. A locomotive without any train as I recall. 

And it was entertaining to watch all the (mostly) bright young things puffing across the bridge on their rather heavy looking cycles from the window of our hotel room the following morning. I might puff now, but I don't think I did then!

References

Reference 1: https://www.thestationtavern.co.uk/.

Reference 2: https://www.cb1cambridge.co.uk/about/history.

Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/10/dining-out-west-part-one.html.

Reference 4: https://www.travelodge.co.uk/.

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