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Chapel
King's College Chapel
Late Gothic chapel built in stages between 1448 and 1515, with a fan-vaulted ceiling; home of the King's College Choir.
Directions Website Report a problem with King's College Chapel
A mini guide to
Colleges and the Backs
King's, Trinity, St John's and Queens' beside the River Cam, with the Backs, Magdalene Street and Castle Hill
Photos
1 / 10Welcome to the area
King's, Trinity, St John's and Queens' beside the River Cam, with the Backs, Magdalene Street and Castle Hill
The Backs is the stretch of lawns and gardens where several colleges back onto the River Cam. King's, Clare, Trinity Hall, Trinity and St John's face the river here, and Queens' spans it at the Mathematical Bridge.
North of the colleges, Magdalene Bridge leads to Magdalene Street, Kettle's Yard and the Museum of Cambridge on Castle Street, with the Round Church on Bridge Street. Each college sets its own visiting arrangements, so check its visiting information before you go.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
College
Trinity College
College founded by Henry VIII in 1546, entered from Trinity Street, with the Great Court and the Wren Library.
Library
Wren Library
Trinity College's library, designed by Christopher Wren in 1676 and completed in 1695, beside the Backs.
College
St John's College
College founded under a charter of 1511 by Lady Margaret Beaufort, with courts stretching back to the river.
Bridge
Bridge of Sighs
Covered stone bridge of 1831 over the Cam at St John's College, linking Third Court and New Court.
College
Queens' College
College founded in 1448 whose buildings span the River Cam, joined by the Mathematical Bridge.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Colleges and the Backs and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Check each college before you go
The University says colleges are open to visitors throughout the year but advises checking opening hours. Colleges set their own rules and may close for events or exams.
2
Trinity's Great Court
Trinity says on its visiting page that, currently, its courts including Great Court are not open to the public, with exceptions such as guided tours, the Chapel, the Wren Library and the Backs.
3
King's College Chapel
The Chapel is an active place of worship and home of the King's College Choir. Check King's opening times and tickets page before you plan a visit.
4
Plan a punt separately
Visit Cambridge has a punting page that lists operators. Compare them there and check the operator's own site for tour details.
Tips from the Britlens editors
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Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Colleges and the Backs (area photo): Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- King's College Chapel: Martinvl, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Trinity College: Andrew Dunn, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wren Library: Andrew Dunn, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- St John's College: Alexander Czuperski, Public domain, source
- Bridge of Sighs: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Queens' College: Azeira, Public domain, source
- Mathematical Bridge: Steff, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Clare College: Ed g2s, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Clare Bridge: Rafa Esteve, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Trinity Hall: Andrew Dunn (Solipsist), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Magdalene College: © Andrew Dunn, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- The Backs: Christian Richardt, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kettle's Yard: Andrew Dunn (Solipsist), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Round Church: Stephen Craven, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Museum of Cambridge: Stephen Craven, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Castle Mound: Myself., CC BY 3.0, source
- King's Parade and Market Square: John Sutton, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Museums, Botanic Garden and the South: Kim Fyson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Mill Road and the East: John Sutton, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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