Cambridgeshire is a county in East Anglia, and shares borders with its many neighbours: Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.

Like much of the surrounding region, Cambridgeshire is an exceptionally flat and low-lying county; the area known as the Fens is located in the north-east of the county, and much of the land was once under sea prior to being drained and reclaimed for agricultural use. The courses of some of the county’s major rivers were also diverted during this exercise, the redirection of the River Nene being the most adventurous example. The highest point in Cambridgeshire is only 150 metres above sea level, although there are a few areas of modest hills including the Madingley Hills and the Gog Magog Downs.

There is evidence of some prehistoric habitation of the East Anglian region, as well as Celtic settlements, but it was not until the arrival of the Romans to Britain that the area began to see real changes to its infrastructure. The Romans built several roads in the area now known as Cambridgeshire, including the Fen Causeway and Ermine Street; the capital of Roman Britain was for a while Colchester, in the neighbouring county of Essex.

After the departure of the Romans the region went into decline, as did much of the country during the Dark Ages; repeated raids by marauding Vikings resulted in the destruction of several of the area’s Saxon churches. Under the rule of the Normans, however, Cambridgeshire enjoyed an upturn in its fortunes; the magnificent Cathedrals at Ely and Peterborough are two of the UK’s most impressive examples of Norman architecture, and tower over their respective cities.

Cambridgeshire’s county town is, of course, Cambridge; this ancient city is home to the second oldest university in the English-speaking world, formed in 1209 when scholars from Oxford settled in the town after fleeing from hostile townsfolk. Since then, the University of Cambridge has evolved into one of the largest and most important in the UK, and its considerable influence is apparent throughout Cambridgeshire – the Cambridge Science Park and its many spin-out companies from the sector have led to the use of the phrase ‘Silicon Fen’ to describe the area around Cambridge.