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Cambridge is a university city and the county town of Cambridgeshire, England. Famous around the world for the University of Cambridge, a collection of 31 colleges the oldest of which dates back to 1284, the city's reputation as a venerable seat of learning is complemented by its medieval and romantic character. The historic colleges are accessible to the public and afford a rare glimpse into the world of academia at its highest level. Indeed, some of the most illustrious figures from the worlds of politics, the sciences, and the arts have graduated from Cambridge.
Click through and educate yourself with this Cambridge college and celebrity walk-through.
One of the 31 constituent colleges that make up the University of Cambridge, King's College was founded in 1441 by Henry VI.
King's College is distinguished by one of the most iconic buildings in Cambridge, indeed the entire United Kingdom—King's College Chapel, which dates back to 1515. Lauded for its 12-bay perpendicular-style interior, as well as its astonishing fan vaulting—the world's largest—the chapel also dazzles with its large stained windows, completed in 1531.
King's is celebrated for the Choir of King's College, one of the most accomplished and renowned representatives of the great English choral tradition. If visiting during term time, make sure to attend Evensong when you can hear the choir in full voice.
Another of Queens' iconic structures is Mathematical Bridge, designed in 1748 by William Etheridge. It connects the riverbank with the Riverside Building, the oldest building on the River Cam.
Queens' College was founded in 1448. It has the most complete medieval buildings of all Cambridge's colleges, which makes a walk around the venerable buildings akin to traveling back in time. Pictured is the stunning red brick First Court, dating back to the period of foundation, and the neighboring half-timbered President's Lodge.
Trinity has more distinguished former members than any other college, among them Prince Charles, seen here practicing the cello while an undergraduate there.
Trinity, founded in 1546, has some of the most distinctive architecture within Cambridge. The college is designed around Trinity Great Court, the largest court in Cambridge and laid out around 1600.
Peterhouse is the oldest of the constituent colleges in the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1284.
Established in 1347, Pembroke contains the first chapel designed by esteemed architect Sir Christopher Wren (1632–1723).
The Corpus Clock, a sculptural timepiece set outside of the Taylor Library at Corpus Christi College, was unveiled to the public on September 19, 2008 by Stephen Hawking.
Sources: (Biography) (University of Cambridge) (Spyscape) (The Cambridge Student) (The Francis Crick Institute)
Founded in 1511, St. John's College boasts several standout architectural features, among them the distinctive Great Gate, the tower of the Second Court, and, inside, the Old Library and the 16th-century dining hall.
St. John's most recognized landmark is the bridge connecting Third Court to New Court, originally known as New Bridge but more commonly known as the Bridge of Sighs. It's one of the most photographed structures in Cambridge.
Trinity boasts one very unusual sight, the Newton apple tree. This tree was grafted from the one in Isaac Newton's garden at Woolsthorpe Manor, from which it is reputed the great mathematician saw an apple fall in the late summer of 1666 and which caused him to speculate upon the nature of gravitation. Isaac Newton (1642–1727) was a fellow of Trinity College.
Gonville and Caius College was originally founded in 1348 as Gonville Hall, making it the fourth-oldest surviving Cambridge seat of learning.
One of Trinity's most notorious students was Kim Philby. Later a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union, Philby was revealed in 1963 to be a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring. The following year, having been unmasked as a Soviet double agent, Philby defected to Moscow, where he died in 1988.
Alumni of King's College include some of the United Kingdom's most illustrious individuals. Robert Walpole, who in 1721 became the first prime minister of Great Britain, studied here.
Alfred Tennyson, the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign, studied at Trinity.
Peterhouse alumni include film director Sam Mendes, who made his directorial debut with the drama 'American Beauty' (1999), which earned him the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Director. He's also responsible for the Bond movies 'Skyfall' (2012) and 'Spectre' (2015).
English actress Naomie Harris, seen here after receiving her OBE from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on February 23, 2017, graduated from Pembroke College. She has portrayed Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond films 'Skyfall' (2012), 'Spectre' (2015) and 'No Time to Die' (2021).
One of the most illustrious people associated with St. John's is William Wilberforce, who was instrumental in abolishing the slave trade.
While physicist Stephen Hawking began his university education at University College, Oxford, he later undertook his graduate work at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Hawking ended up a fellow of Gonville and Caius College until his death in 2018.
Downing College alumni include John Cleese. While there, he joined the Cambridge Footlights, an amateur theatrical club. It was here that he met fellow Cambridge students Eric Idle and Graham Chapman, all future members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.
English actress Thandiwe Newton obtained a degree in social anthropology at Downing. Among other movies, she's known for her roles in 'Mission Impossible 2' (2000) and 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' (2018).
English mathematician Alan Turing, regarded as the father of computing science and who took a leading role in breaking Nazi ciphers during the Second World War, graduated at King's College. On March 25, 2021, the Bank of England publicly unveiled the design for a new £50 note featuring Turing's portrait.
Dutch philosopher and Christian scholar Erasmus, seen here in a 1523 portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543), studied at Queens'. He is considered one of the greatest scholars of the northern Renaissance.
Movie director Paul Greengrass, whose films include 'The Bourne Supremacy' (2004) and 'Captain Phillips' (2013) attended Queens' College.
Peterhouse is also one of the wealthiest and most traditional colleges in Cambridge, and one of the highest achieving. The buildings date from a wide variety of times, and have been much altered over the years.
Hollywood actor James Mason, noted for 'Odd Man Out' (1947) and the Hitchcock thriller 'North by Northwest' (1959), among many other pictures, studied at Peterhouse, where he earned a first in architecture.
The chapel, consecrated on St Matthew's Day, 1665, stands on Trumpington Street.
English satirist and comedic actor Peter Cook read French and German at Pembroke College. He kicked off his career in show business at the Pembroke Players, an amateur theatrical society run by the students of the college. He later found fame with Dudley Moore as a hugely successful comedy double act.
The highly respected English stage and screen actor Derek Jacobi read history at St. John's College. He's noted for appearing in various stage productions of William Shakespeare and for his roles in numerous films including 'Gladiator' (2000) and 'The King's Speech' (2010).
Founded in 1800, Downing is often described as the oldest of the new colleges and the newest of the old.
Downing, together with Jesus College, has been named as Cambridge University's most eco-friendly college for the measures taken to reduce water and energy use as well as their management and recycling practices.
The first buildings to be erected on the college's current site date from 1353. Those overlooking Gonville Court were given classical facades in the 1750s.
The college has long historical associations with medical teaching. Francis Crock, whose work with James Watson led to the identification of the structure of DNA in 1953, studied at Gonville and Caius.
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Cambridge is a university city and the county town of Cambridgeshire, England. Famous around the world for the University of Cambridge, a collection of 31 colleges the oldest of which dates back to 1284, the city's reputation as a venerable seat of learning is complemented by its medieval and romantic character. The historic colleges are accessible to the public and afford a rare glimpse into the world of academia at its highest level. Indeed, some of the most illustrious figures from the worlds of politics, the sciences, and the arts have graduated from Cambridge.
Click through and educate yourself with this Cambridge college and celebrity walk-through.