Cambridge has been an important town since Roman times as it was sited at the first navigable point on the River Cam. In the 11th century religious orders began to be established in the town. At the front, the handsome facades of these same colleges dominate the layout of the town centre, lining up along the main streets. Most of the older colleges date back to the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. Many of the buildings are extraordinarily beautiful, but the most famous is King's College, whose magnificent King's College Chapel is one of the great statements of late Gothic architecture. Cambridge is an extremely compact place, and you can walk round the centre, visiting the most interesting colleges, in an afternoon. A more thorough exploration, covering more of the colleges, a visit to the fine art of the Fitzwilliam Museum and a leisurely afternoon on a punt, will however take at least a couple of days – maybe more.
King's College
It is one of the oldest Cambridge colleges, having been founded in 1441 by Henry VI. It is also Cambridge's premier tourist attraction, due above all to its spectacular Perpendicular chapel. The King's College Chapel took over a century to build and was completed in 1547. Inside the chapel you will be amazed by the Fan Vaulted Ceiling and the wonderful stained glass windows. You can also hear the world famous Choir during their daily services during term time.
www.kings.cam.ac.uk
Queens' College
Build in 1446 on the Queens' land, the college was endowed in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou and later by Elizabeth Woodville in 1465, hence the name Queen(s)' college. The College has buildings on both sides of the Cam, linked by the bizarre Mathematical Bridge (right). This bridge was rumoured to have been built by Sir Isaac Newton without nuts and bolts, but later his students took the bridge apart and fail to put it back together. You can see this bridge if you take a punt in the CAM river.
www.quns.cam.ac.uk
Trinity College
Trinity is the college of Sir Isaac Newton, who had rooms between the chapel and gatehouse, in the 17th century. The college library was designed by Christopher Wren, it is said to be his finest work outside of London. It is also the location where some of the Harry Potter film was filmed.
www.trin.cam.ac.uk
Punting on the Cam River
To fully enjoy and explore the Cambridge Colleges, you must take a trip on the Cam River. There are many companies by the river side that can offer both chauffeured & self-hire punts.
Fitzwilliam Museum
One of Britain's oldest public museums, this massive Classical building has works of exceptional quality and rarity, especially antiquities, ceramics, painting and manuscripts.
www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland)
Our privacy and copyright statements.
Our commitment to freedom of information. Double-click for pop-up dictionary.
Open the original version of this page.
Usablenet Assistive is a UsableNet product. Usablenet Assistive Main Page.