Gonville Place
A stretch of the inner ring road facing Parker's Piece, with Parkside Pools and the cricket ground at Fenner's behind.
Gonville Place forms a section of the A603 and of the inner ring road. Travelling from the south-west, you leave behind Regent Street, Hills Road and the stretch called Lensfield Road, and arrive at the north-eastern end by Parkside and Mill Road. There the road turns into the dual carriageway of East Road.
Parker's Piece and the pools
Across the road to the north-west is Parker's Piece, open grass crossed by paths, and Gonville Place gives wide views over it. Parkside Pools, an indoor swimming pool with a distinctive wavy roof, was built in 1998-99 with National Lottery support. A YMCA is on the south-east side opposite the Piece. Behind it is Fenner's, the University cricket ground, which has staged first-class cricket since 1848.
History
Little was built around here before the 19th century. The most significant early building was the Cambridge Town Gaol. By the late 19th century large houses with landscaped gardens made the street fashionable, though some were replaced in the 1960s and 1970s. It is now a busy part of the ring road, with traffic problems that affect the many cyclists. Gonville Place was also the start line for one stage of the Tour de France in 2014.
Sources: Wikipedia: Gonville Place · Wikidata: Gonville Place (Q5582122)