Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The
chapel
(entrance to the right of the clock tower)—which pales in comparison to
the stunning King's College Chapel—feels like a shrine to thinking, with statues honoring
great Trinity minds both familiar (Isaac Newton, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Francis Bacon)
and unfamiliar. Who's missing? The poet Lord Byron, who was such a hell-raiser during
his time at Trinity that a statue of him was deemed unfit for Church property; his statue
stands in the library instead.
Wren Library:
Don't miss the 1695 Christopher Wren-designed library, with its
wonderful carving and fascinating original manuscripts. Just outside the library entrance,
Sir Isaac Newton clapped his hands and timed the echo to measure the speed of sound as
it raced down the side of the cloister and back. In the library's 12 display cases (covered
with cloth that you flip back), you'll see handwritten works by Sir Isaac Newton and John
Milton, alongside A. A. Milne's original
Winnie the Pooh
(the real Christopher Robin at-
tended Trinity College).
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Fitzwilliam Museum
Britain's best museum of antiquities and art outside of London is the Fitzwilliam, housed
in a grand Neoclassical building a 10-minute walk south of Market Square. The Fitzwil-
liam's broad collection is like a mini-British Museum/National Gallery rolled into one;
you're bound to find something you like. Helpful docents—many with degrees or doctor-
