David Parr House

I can tell you how much I enjoyed my tour of this amazing, unique treasure. It is such an incredible and unexpected little place, and so evocative. I took my parents with me on my visit, and they were blown away too...especially my Dad who grew up in a similar type of house (albeit one without ornate hand-painted decorations). Our guide was so informative and enthusiastic and made us feel very welcome. I can't recommend a trip to David Parr House highly enough and commend the people who have worked so hard to preserve this unique heritage.

This house is interesting but very small and the ladies who take you round explain a lot which takes one and half hours and really goes on far too long. Apart from the first room the sitting room the rest of the rooms are very 1950’s and sparsely furnished. The lady that does not do the talking is watching your every move in case you touch the walls which is very off putting and makes you feel very uncomfortable. Definitely not worth £15.

What a wonderful experience. The house is fascinating and the guides were excellent, so knowledgeable and passionate about David Parr and the house. The way the house has been restored and preserved is incredible. I would highly recommend this tour and I will revisit again.

David Parr House is a real hidden gem in Cambridge and I cannot recommend the tour enough here. Home of arts and crafts man David Parr at Gwydir Street looks like a completely unassuming house and I have simply walked by many times totally unaware of the treasures within. There is so much to experience for all senses and it really feels like the owners have gone shopping. The tour is 90 minutes long and only small group can enter at once. I think this highly personal approach with the lovely and knowledgeable guides is what makes it so special. I will recommend this to all my friends and keep shouting about it from the rooftop! Five stars is not enough to tell you how amazing this place is. You really need to experience it yourself!

What a gem. I live in Cambridge and had read about this wonderful house in the local newspaper some time back. I finally went on Saturday morning. The volunteer guides were so professional, knowledgeable, with a lovely touch of humour. The work to conserve and recognise this slice of artisan craft and social history is special and to be commended. The life work of David Parr and the lives of his family and descendants are conserved and communicated with great insight and sensitivity. The small group of 6 make it very intimate. I met some wonderful strangers and we stayed on the road chatting afterwards as we were all so wowed by the experience. The visitor centre and gardens, all intimate and well designed. And I can recommend the very tasteful cards and tote bags that all contribute to the upkeep of this unique life project of art and history.

This is a fabulous place to visit. The tour, at an hour and a half, is absolutely fascinating and the time just flew past. The two guides really bring the place to life and the combination of the Arts and Crafts style of the painted decoration with the social history of the later artefacts is engaging and took me back to my grandparent’s house. The small group size makes the tour intimate and meant that it was possible to ask questions throughout- which were answered with expertise and humour by our guides. This is so different to many of today’s interactive CGI experiences (which I also enjoy in their place) that every moment was a joy. The visitor centre is gorgeous too and the gift shop is small and the items for sale carefully selected. I will definitely visit again. An absolute gem!

A fantastic experience not to be missed!! With great enthusiasm and knowledge, our guides Vicky and Maggie took us back in time detailing how David Parr created his master piece and his grand daughter Elsie preserved his legacy for us to enjoy. You don’t have to be in to property or art to enjoy this tour, however you may come out of it feeling like you have had a whirlwind lesson in both including having touched on a little bit of interesting history. I can’t wait to take friends and family back for the ride.

A fascinating microcosm of social history, explained by an excellent guide with great knowledge of and affection for the subject. Perhaps the tour could be a bit shorter, given the tiny spaces and tight squeezes (not for the claustrophobic) and, on the day we visited, the bitter cold (coats not allowed; shawls provided instead). But overall, an enriching experience.