Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Crafts founder William Morris. The chapel, called Old Court, dates from 1632 and
was renovated in 1754. Ask to enter at the porter's lodge at the gate.
Insider tip:
Little St. Mary's, the church next door, was the college chapel until
1632 and has a memorial to Godfrey Washington, who died in 1729. The Washington
family's coat of arms contains an eagle on top of stars and stripes, and is believed to
be the inspiration for the United States flag.
Trumpington St.
&
01223/338200.
www.pet.cam.ac.uk. Free entry to grounds.
Queens' College
HISTORIC SITE Founded by English queens Margaret
of Anjou, the wife of Henry VI, and Elizabeth Woodville, the wife of Edward IV, the
college dates from 1448 and is regarded as the most beautiful of Cambridge's col-
leges. Entry and exit is by the old porter's lodge in Queens' Lane. Its second cloister
is the most interesting, flanked by the 16th-century half-timbered President's Lodge.
The old hall and chapel are usually open to the public when not in use.
Insider tip:
The Mathematical Bridge, an arched, wooden, self-supporting bridge
connecting the college's two parts, is best viewed from the Silver Street Bridge, dating
from 1902.
Silver St.
&
01223/335511.
www.quns.cam.ac.uk. Late June-early Oct 10am-4:30pm admission £2.50
adults, free for children 11 and under (free admission other times). Oct daily 2-4pm (weekends 10am-
4:30pm); Nov-late May daily 2-4pm (sometimes 4:30pm; also closed late May-late June and some
other dates).
St. John's College
HISTORIC SITE St. John's was founded in 1511 by
Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, who established Christ's College a few
years earlier. The impressive gateway has the Tudor coat of arms, and the Second
Court is a fine example of late Tudor brickwork. The college's best-known feature is
the Bridge of Sighs crossing the River Cam. It was built in the 19th century, inspired
by the covered bridge at the Doge's Palace in Venice. It connects the older part of the
college with New Court, a Gothic Revival folly with a main cupola and pinnacles that
students nicknamed the wedding cake. Wordsworth was an alumnus of this college,
and visitors are welcome to attend choral services in the chapel.
Insider tip:
The Bridge of Sighs is closed to visitors but can be seen from
Kitchen Bridge.
St. John's Street.
&
01223/338600.
www.joh.cam.ac.uk. Admission £3.20 adults, £2 seniors and chil-
dren 12-17, free for children 11 and under. Mar-Oct 10am-5:30pm; Nov-Feb Sat 10am-3:30pm.
Trinity College
HISTORIC SITE This is Cambridge's largest college, not to
be confused with Trinity Hall. It was founded in 1546 when Henry VIII consolidated
a number of smaller colleges on the site. The courtyard is the most spacious in Cam-
bridge, built when Thomas Neville was master. The Wren Library, from 1695, was
designed by Sir Christopher Wren. It contains manuscripts and books that were in
the college library by 1820, together with various special collections including 1,250
medieval manuscripts, early Shakespeare editions, many books from Sir Isaac New-
ton's own library, and A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh manuscripts.
Insider tip:
Sir Isaac Newton first calculated the speed of sound here, at Neville's
Court, and Lord Byron used to bathe naked in the Great Court's fountain with his
pet bear. The university forbade students from having dogs, but there was no rule
against bears. Years later, Vladimir Nabokov walked through that same courtyard
dreaming of the young lady he would later write about as
Lolita.
13
