Cambridge Terrace, site of some of Wellington’s landmark buildings, was once a stream. Before a massive earthquake changed the landscape in 1855, flat-bottomed boats used to make their way from the harbour along what are now Cambridge and Kent terraces to a shallow lagoon, which later became the Basin Reserve.
Many of the principals of the New Zealand Company that founded Wellington had Cambridge University as their alma mater – hence the name Cambridge Terrace. One of the Cambridge Terrace’s most famous buildings was St Patrick’s College, which was built in 1884 and remained the dominant feature of the southern end of the street until the school moved to Kilbirnie in 1979. The Cambridge Hotel, on the corner of Alpha St, on Cambridge Terrace has long been a feature of the street. It looked to be on its last legs, until it was fully refurbished and restored to full splendour, with a sympathetically restored decor.
The Cambridge Hotel is the first choice for many travellers and returning guests. It is popular for its value accommodation and fantastic central location in the capital city. The Cambridge Hotel has been serving the local community since 1883, and also has claim over a famous guest with Queen Elizabeth II gracing the hotel with her presence during the 1963 royal tour.
There have been a couple of claims of possible paranormal activity within this hotel that we have so far heard of, though these have been vague and without much detail. claims made have been of seeing a man in a black suit silently ascending the stairs and disappearing at the top; as well as the usual feelings of movement in the rooms, “pressure on the bed, like a cat has just jumped up”, or an uneasy feeling at the top of the stairs, “as if you are about to fall, or be pushed.”
