DAY TRIPS FROM LONDON - London 2015 - page 769

Behind the church is the thriving Market Hill Square. The big market is on Sunday
(9:30-16:30) and features produce, arts, and crafts. On other days, you'll find mostly
clothes and food (Mon-Sat roughly 9:30-16:00).
The imposing Neoclassical building at the top (north) end of King's Parade is the Sen-
ate House, the meeting place of the university's governing body. In June, you might no-
tice green boxes lining the front of this house. Traditionally, at the end of the term students
would come to these boxes to see whether or not they'd earned their degree; if a name was
not on the list, the student had flunked. Amazingly, until 2010 this was the only notifica-
tion students received about their status. (Now they also get an email.)
In the opposite direction (south), at Benet Street, look for the strikingly modern Cor-
pus Clock. Designed and commissioned by alum John Taylor, the clock was ceremoni-
ally unveiled by Stephen Hawking in 2008. It uses concentric golden dials with blue LED
lights to tell the time, but it's precise only every five minutes; its otherwise-irregular time-
keeping mimics the unpredictability of life. Perched on top is Chronophage, the “eater of
time”—a grotesque giant grasshopper that keeps the clock moving and periodically winks
at passersby. Creepy and disturbing? Exactly, says Taylor...so is the passage of time.
Just down Benet Street on the left is the recommended Eagle Pub —Cambridge's old-
est pub and a sight in itself; it's worth poking into the courtyard to learn about its dynamic
history, even if you don't eat or drink here. Across the street from the pub stands the old-
est surviving building in Cambridgeshire, St. Benet's Church. The Saxons who built the
church included circular holes in its bell tower, to encourage owls to roost there and keep
the mouse population under control.
▲▲▲ King's College Chapel
Built from 1446 to 1515 by Henrys VI through VIII, England's best example of Perpen-
dicular Gothic architecture is the single most impressive building in town.
Cost and Hours: £ 7.50, erratic hours depending on school schedule and events;
during academic term usually Mon-Fri 9:30-15:30, Sat 9:30-15:15, Sun 13:15-14:30;
during breaks (see here ) usually daily 9:30-16:30; recorded info tel. [phone],
www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel .
Evensong: When school's in session, you're welcome to enjoy an evensong service
in this glorious space, with a famous choir made up of men and boys (free, Mon-Sat at
17:30, Sun at 15:30; for more on evensong, see here ) .
Getting There: You'll see the regal front facade of King's College along King's
Parade. To enter the chapel, curl around the back: Facing the college on King's Parade,
head right and take the first left possible (just after the Senate House, on Senate House
passage); at the end, bear left on Trinity Lane to reach the gate where you can pay to enter
the chapel.