St Radegund, Cambridge

52°12′28″N 0°07′36″E / 52.207676°N 0.126801°E / 52.207676; 0.126801

The St Radegund public house with the old sign (not new sign) Jesus Green can be seen in the background

St Radegund is a pub in King Street, Cambridge, England. It is named after St Radegund, a Frankish saint associated with the nearby Jesus College.

Overview

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The pub is the home to the Cantabrigensis Hash House Harriers, a rowing club and a cricket team.[1] It is the start/finish venue on the legendary King Street Run. All of these activities and more were encouraged (and in the case of the cricket team, started) by Terry Kavanagh (1937-2012), who was landlord between 1992 and 2009.

Since 1992 the St Radegund has played an annual cricket match against The Champion of the Thames, for the King Street Trophy.[2]

In 2008, the saga of the 2003 St Radegund cricket tour to Croatia,[3] The Ascent of Mount Hum,[4] was published, to critical acclaim.[5]

St Radegund is the smallest pub in Cambridge.[dubiousdiscuss] Friday night is Vera Lynn Appreciation Society night when large gin and tonics were served to the sounds of the wartime forces sweetheart.[citation needed]

In 2007, it was pointed out that the pub sign depicted the arms of the Austrian municipality, Sankt Radegund bei Graz rather than the saint herself. A local artist was commissioned to correct the mistake and the story attracted media comment.[6] In 2010, the new landlord, James Hoskins, reverted to a design incorporating the former (incorrect) arms. In early 2015 the premises underwent a programme of refurbishment and redecoration after which it became a pub tied to the Saffron Brewery, ceasing to serve Habit and Sackcloth, beers specially brewed for the pub by Milton Brewery.[7]

It was closed under notice of forfeiture in August 2019.[8] In 2020 the pub was bought by Cold Chain Bars[citation needed] and it reopened in March 2024.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Archived 6 February 2016 at the Wayback MachineCambridge University Library online file reference [1]
  2. ^ "1992". Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  3. ^ Slobodna Dalmacija 23 September 2003, p.51
  4. ^ Steven Haslemere (2008). The Ascent of Mount Hum. Signal Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-904955-48-1.
  5. ^ The Wisden Cricketer February 2009, p.84
  6. ^ "Pub fixes historic mistake on sign". Cambridge Evening News. 5 November 2007. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
  7. ^ https://www.facebook.com/groups/54503601650/permalink/10153749025456651/?comment_id=10153749214681651&reply_comment_id=10153749496441651 [user-generated source]
  8. ^ @RTaylorUK (13 November 2019). "Notice of Forfeiture. St Radegund Public House, 129 King Street, Cambridge" (Tweet) – via Twitter.