The Blue Ball Inn gallery Gallery
The Blue Ball Inn
Cambridge,
Cambridgeshire
Inn
+44 (0)1223 846004
Visit owner's website
per night
Overlooking Grantchester Meadows, this impossibly pretty pub serves home-cooked fare with a warm welcome, two new and neat bedrooms upstairs
2 rooms
Rooms sleep 2
Your enquiry details
2 Guests 04 Dec 24 - 04 Dec 24
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£120 per night
The Experience
The Blue Ball takes its name from one of the first hot air balloons, which landed nearby in the 1750s. Ideally placed, with Granchester Meadows for a front garden and views across the river to the spires of Cambridge’s colleges, this pretty country pub is thriving under the care of Toby and Angela. Taking pride of place in a row of cottages, the Blue Ball’s bright walls, bay window and flowing flower baskets is postcard-perfect. Inside, all is spotless, scrubbed and poised to welcome hungry locals, walkers, twitchers and tourists. Tuck into sausage casserole, vegetable tagine, or a bowl of hearty soup with a sandwich. At the back is a heated pavilion, shrine to the local cricket team, where you can while away a happy afternoon with a pint of cask ales from Adnams and Woodefordes . Upstairs: two pin-neat bedrooms with fresh flowers and local art, and a shared sitting room where you can enjoy a quiet drink while soaking up those fabulous views. Bathrooms sparkle. Breakfasts are generous, so fill your boots and then stroll across the Meadows to spend the day in Cambridge.
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Essentials
- EV charger
- Swimming pool
- Hot tub
- Garden
- Open fire / woodburner
- Breakfast included
- Breakfast available
- Meals available
- Vegetarian meals
- Parking on premises
- Free parking nearby
- Accessible by public transport
- WiFi
- Spa
- Central heating
- Limited mobility
- Wheelchair access
- Mobile reception
- Hob
- Bar
- Barbecue
- Licensed premises
- Paid parking nearby
- Air conditioning
- Relaxation areas
- Tennis court
- No smoking
- Credit cards
- Working farm
- Owner has pets
- Pets welcome
Family friendly
- Baby monitor
- Books and toys
- Children welcome
- Babies welcome
- Stair gates
- High chair
- Fire guard
- Cot available
Nearby
- Pub/bar within 3 miles
- Restaurant within 3 miles
- Shop within 3 miles
Activities
- Bikes available
- Food courses
- Kayaking
- Other courses
- Sailing
- Surfing
- Wild swimming
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Accommodation
Pricing
- Nightly price
- £120
- 2 Doubles
- £120
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Information
Booking information
- Check in
- 3pm-9pm
- Check out
- 11am
- Other details
- 2 night minimum stay at weekends
- Closed
- Rarely.
- No smoking
- Smoking not permitted anywhere in the property.
- Dogs
A dogs welcome sign at the front of the pub, dog biscuits behind the bar and bowls at the front door and in the back garden.
Fenced back garden ‘dog proof’; river 200 yards for dogs to get wet in (as ours does). Garden hose for dogs who’ve rolled in cow pats on the meadow. Watercolour montage of all our ‘regular’ dogs!
- Meals
- Starters from £4. Lunch from £9. Mains from £9.
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Location
The neighbourhood
Local points of interest from Toby Joseph
- 250 years old , The Blue Ball looks over the famous Grantchester Meadows, a favourite haunt for Rupert Brook , Pink Floyd and Lord Byron, punt up the river cam from Cambridge, walk or cycle across the meadow just over a mile from the historic city centre.
- Used as the set for the recent series of Grantchester on ITV, starring James Norton.The cast and crew celebrate the end of each shoot with a party in the pub , taking turns behind the bar.
- Described as "near perfect " by The Sunday Times and featured on the BBC Good Food web site guide to Cambridge eateries.
- The reigning champions of the annual Grantchester Barrel Race , held every Boxing Day when teams from the 4 pubs in the village hold a relay race in the street rolling a 36 gallon wooden beer barrel.
- try your hand at "ringing the bull" , the oldest pub game in the country
- The college roof tops are viable from the bedrooms across the meadow,walk into the town along the pathway on the meadow known as the Grantchester Grind, read Tom Sharpe's novel of the same name
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This is the second time we have stayed at The Blue Ball Inn and we will certainly go back again. The pub is delightful as are the owners. The rooms are very comfortable and the location is perfect. I would recommend anyone to give it a try and would be very surprised if it didn’t live up to expectations .