# The Blue Ball, Grantchester, Cambridge: Visitor Guide | Above Guide

> A small independent Grantchester local with an eighteenth-century lineage, an intact two-bar plan and one of the Cambridge area's most important traditional…

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- Content updated: 2026-07-28

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## Page content

[View next **The Cambridge Blue**](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/cambridge-blue>)

## The Blue Ball, Grantchester

A small independent Grantchester local with an eighteenth-century lineage, an intact two-bar plan and one of the Cambridge area's most important traditional pub interiors.

[Plan this experience](<https://www.blueballgrantchester.co.uk/>)

[Explore the story](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/blue-ball-grantchester#experience-story>)

Cost **Free to visit**

Time to allow **45–90 minutes**

Pace **Easy**

Place **Broadway, Grantchester**

Best time **Year round**

01 / The experience

### The Blue Ball, Grantchester

This is the chain-free historic pub to pair with Grantchester Meadows: small, architecturally legible and still organised around traditional drinking rooms.

The Blue Ball is the most convincing pub ending to the walk across Grantchester Meadows. The present building dates from 1893, raised over the cellar of a 1767 pub lost to fire. Its compact two-bar arrangement, pre-war counter and bar back, panelled seating and Ringing the Bull game preserve the scale of a village local rather than a destination restaurant. Ownership changed in 2026, so practical details should be checked before making a special journey.

02 / The essentials

### The Blue Ball, Grantchester: visit essentials

1. 01

   The original Blue Ball dated from 1767.
2. 02

   The earlier pub was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1893 over its cellar.
3. 03

   CAMRA places the interior on its National Inventory.
4. 04

   The two-bar arrangement remains substantially intact.
5. 05

   The interior retains a pre-war counter, bar back and panelled seating.
6. 06

   The pub preserves the traditional game Ringing the Bull.

03 / The place

### The building in context.

A story written in stone since **1893**.

Built

1893, over the cellar of the 1767 pub

Style

Traditional two-bar village public house

Listing

CAMRA National Inventory historic interior

04 / Before you go

### Plan your visit

#### Prices & admission

No admission charge; drinks and food are individually priced.

#### Opening hours

CAMRA currently records Wednesday–Saturday 12:00–22:00 and Sunday 12:00–19:00, with Monday and Tuesday closed. Reconfirm following the 2026 ownership change.

#### Plan your experience

Check current opening and food arrangements before travelling, particularly early in the week.

[Visit the official site](<https://www.blueballgrantchester.co.uk/>)

#### Accessibility

The historic two-bar interior includes level changes and does not provide a straightforward modern access layout. Contact the pub for current details.

#### Participation requirements

Easy once at the pub; the meadow walk from Cambridge is roughly two miles each way.

Not normally required for drinks, but confirm opening before travelling.

Continue exploring / Cambridge

### More things to do
*in Cambridge*

Explore Cambridge activities, sights and places to eat. Compare the time to allow, costs and booking details, then save your favourites to your itinerary.

01  Culture & history

 [![Fitzwilliam Museum](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/fitzwilliam-museum-480.webp>)

  01  Culture & history **Fitzwilliam Museum** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/fitzwilliam-museum>)  [![Kettle's Yard](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/kettles-yard.webp>)

  02  Culture & history **Kettle's Yard** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/kettles-yard>)  [![King's College](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/kings-college-480.webp>)

  03  Culture & history **King's College** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/kings-college>)

02  Food & drink

 [![Fort St George](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/fort-st-george-480.webp>)

  04  Food & drink **Fort St George** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/fort-st-george>)  [![The Cambridge Blue](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/cambridge-blue.webp>)

  05  Food & drink **The Cambridge Blue** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/cambridge-blue>)  [![The Castle Inn](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/castle-inn-480.webp>)

  06  Food & drink **The Castle Inn** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/castle-inn>)  [![The Devonshire Arms](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/devonshire-arms.webp>)

  07  Food & drink **The Devonshire Arms** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/devonshire-arms>)  [![The Eagle](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/the-eagle-480.webp>)

  08  Food & drink **The Eagle** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/the-eagle>)  [![The Green Dragon](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/green-dragon-480.webp>)

  09  Food & drink **The Green Dragon** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/green-dragon>)  [![The Haymakers](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/haymakers.webp>)

  10  Food & drink **The Haymakers** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/haymakers>)  [![The Kingston Arms](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/kingston-arms.webp>)

  11  Food & drink **The Kingston Arms** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/kingston-arms>)  [![The Live & Let Live](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/live-and-let-live.webp>)

  12  Food & drink **The Live & Let Live** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/live-and-let-live>)  [![The Maypole](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/maypole.webp>)

  13  Food & drink **The Maypole** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/maypole>)  [![The Mitre](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/the-mitre-480.webp>)

  14  Food & drink **The Mitre** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/the-mitre>)  [![The Pickerel Inn](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/pickerel-inn-480.webp>)

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  18  Food & drink **The St Radegund** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/st-radegund>)

03  Outdoors

 [![Cambridge University Botanic Garden](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/cambridge-university-botanic-garden-480.webp>)

  19  Outdoors **Cambridge University Botanic Garden** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/cambridge-university-botanic-garden>)

04  Water activities

 [![Punting the Backs](<https://above.guide/cambridge/_guide/images/experiences/punting-the-backs.webp>)

  20  Water activities **Punting the Backs** Explore experience](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do/punting-the-backs>)

05  Go deeper

[35 Colleges   All the colleges **Every Cambridge college** Open the college guide](<https://above.guide/cambridge/explore>)[Food & drink / a story **The six oldest pubs** Walk the timeline](<https://above.guide/cambridge/historic-pubs>)[Plan / Itinerary builder **Build your Cambridge day** Start planning](<https://above.guide/cambridge/welcome>)

05 / Where it is

### Find it
and what’s nearby.

Explore around The Blue Ball, Grantchester

 The map will load when you reach it.

05 / Good to know

### The Blue Ball, Grantchester: frequently asked questions

01 Is the Blue Ball in Cambridge city centre?

No. It is in Grantchester, commonly reached from Cambridge by the meadow walk, cycle, taxi or local transport.

02 Is the current building from 1767?

No. The original pub dated from 1767; the present building was constructed in 1893 over the earlier cellar after a fire.

03 Is the interior historically important?

Yes. CAMRA records it as a nationally inventoried historic pub interior of regional importance.

04 Is it open every day?

Not currently. Early-week closure is recorded, and the 2026 ownership change makes checking before travel especially important.

Before you visit

### Check hours, tickets and access.

Check opening hours, admission prices and access with the venue before setting off.

Updated

Date unavailable

By

[Above Guide Editorial Team](<https://above.guide/cambridge/about#editorial-team>)

Useful links

- [Official site blueballgrantchester.co.uk ↗](<https://www.blueballgrantchester.co.uk/>)
- [Supporting source camra.org.uk ↗](<https://camra.org.uk/pubs/blue-ball-inn-grantchester-131357>)

[Report a correction](<https://above.guide/cambridge/corrections>)

Continue exploring

### Make Cambridge
your own.

[Visit the official site](<https://www.blueballgrantchester.co.uk/>)[← All things to do](<https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do>)

Opening hours, prices and access change. Confirm details on the official site before visiting.

Filed under  historic pub / independent / Grantchester / historic interior / village pub

## Venue visitor information

| Detail | Information |
| --- | --- |
| Title | The Blue Ball, Grantchester |
| Category Slug | food\_drink |
| Location | Broadway, Grantchester |
| Address | 57 Broadway, Grantchester, Cambridge, CB3 9NQ |
| City | Grantchester |
| Region | Cambridgeshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Latitude | 52.18330001831 |
| Longitude | 0.094140999019146 |
| Operator Name | Independent operator |
| Website Url | [https://www.blueballgrantchester.co.uk/](<https://www.blueballgrantchester.co.uk/>) |
| Price Amount | 0 |
| Price Currency | GBP |
| Duration Text | 45–90 minutes |
| Activity Level | easy |
| Excitement Level | moderate |
| Seasonality | year\_round |

### Tags

- historic pub
- independent
- Grantchester
- historic interior
- village pub

### Key Facts

- The original Blue Ball dated from 1767.

### Seasons

- spring
- summer
- autumn
- winter

### Facts

| Detail | Information |
| --- | --- |
| Built | 1893, over the cellar of the 1767 pub |
| Area | Grantchester |

### Faq

| Q | A |
| --- | --- |
| Is the Blue Ball in Cambridge city centre? | No. It is in Grantchester, commonly reached from Cambridge by the meadow walk, cycle, taxi or local transport. |
| Is the current building from 1767? | No. The original pub dated from 1767; the present building was constructed in 1893 over the earlier cellar after a fire. |
| Is the interior historically important? | Yes. CAMRA records it as a nationally inventoried historic pub interior of regional importance. |
| Is it open every day? | Not currently. Early-week closure is recorded, and the 2026 ownership change makes checking before travel especially important. |

## Detailed data

The linked page JSON retains map geometry, transport network data, image assets, identifiers and schema alongside all public facts.

## Sources and editorial notes

- [Venue visitor information — Source Urls](<https://www.blueballgrantchester.co.uk/>)
- [Venue visitor information — Source Urls](<https://camra.org.uk/pubs/blue-ball-inn-grantchester-131357>)
- Venue visitor information — Updated At: 2026-07-28T15:37:44.197395+00:00

## Guide and hub links

- [Cambridge Visitor Guide: Colleges & River | Above Guide](https://above.guide/cambridge/index.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge)
- [Things to Do in Cambridge | Above Guide](https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do)

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