'I visited one of Muddy Stilettos' best places to live in Cambs and felt like I had stepped back into the 1950s'


There are countless reasons to be thankful about living in the 2020s rather than the 1950s. However, there's something idyllic about black-and-white photos showing butchers and grocery shops with their striped awnings.

This is a scene that can be found in twentieth-century colour at Newnham, the small suburb of Cambridge that has been named one of Muddy Stilettos' 2024 best places to live, based on readers' votes. Newnham came fifth, after 'number one' spot St Ives, as well as Elton, Ely and Godmanchester.

As I wandered around streets of pretty houses with bikes and floral hanging baskets outside - and discovered a butchers, a newsagents-cum-grocery shop, a Co-op and a quaint little café - I started to see why. The area was full of picture-perfect scenes straight from a vintage postcard - but also offered the amenities needed for an easy life.

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Traditional-style grocery shop and newsagents at Newnham
Traditional-style grocery shop and newsagents at Newnham -Credit:Siobhan Middleton / CambridgeshireLive

I stopped for a pint of coke at The Red Bull, and found a cosy spot with exposed beams, a fireplace and board games piled up for customers to try. The pub also serves pizzas and hosts a weekly quiz, which - the owner told me - is always very hard.

That is no surprise: Newnham has been described as one of the cleverest areas in Britain, with more Nobel Prize winners than anywhere else in the UK. Alternative options for food and drink are Rice Boat, which offers Keralan meals; the Thai dishes at Sala Thong; coffee and toasties at Bean Theory; and the more traditional English meals at The Granta and Millworks.

Newnham locals are also spoilt when it comes to green space. Lammas Land offers a tennis court, a table tennis table, a park, a bowling green and a pool that opens during the summer. Among its many trees are ancient willows, which are looked after by Cambridge City Council.

The Red Bull in Newnham
The Red Bull in Newnham -Credit:Siobhan Middleton / CambridgeshireLive

Muddy Stilettos describes Newnham as having "the killer combo of greenery and amenities on the doorstep", and I would wholeheartedly agree. To top it off, Newnham is also very close to Cambridge's city centre - it is a 15-minute walk to Market Square and a 30-minute walk to the railway station.