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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.
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A mini guide to
Colleges and the Backs: things to do
Places worth your time in Colleges and the Backs
Top places
Things to do in Colleges and the Backs
Landmarks, museums, parks and viewpoints in and around the area.
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.
Bridge
Mathematical Bridge
Wooden footbridge over the Cam joining two parts of Queens' College; its official name is the Wooden Bridge.
College
Clare College
College founded in 1326 as University Hall, known for its chapel choir and its gardens on the Backs.
Bridge
Clare Bridge
Grade I listed bridge over the Cam joining Clare's Old Court to Memorial Court.
College
Trinity Hall
College founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich; the fifth-oldest surviving college.
College
Magdalene College
College across Magdalene Bridge, founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel and refounded in 1542.
Riverside
The Backs
Stretch of the Cam where several colleges back onto the river, with grounds on both banks.
Gallery
Kettle's Yard
Art gallery and house on Castle Street; both reopened in 2018 after an expansion.
Church
Round Church
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of four medieval round churches still in use in England.
Museum
Museum of Cambridge
Local-history museum on Castle Street, formerly known as the Cambridge and County Folk Museum.
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Earthwork
Castle Mound
Earthwork of Cambridge Castle, built after 1066 to control the route north from the city.
Cambridge
More areas to explore
15 sights · 33 places to eat
King's Parade and Market Square
King's Parade, Market Square and Trinity Street in the historic heart of the city
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16 sights · 23 places to eat
Museums, Botanic Garden and the South
The Fitzwilliam, the Downing Street museums, the Botanic Garden and the meadows toward Grantchester
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12 sights · 28 places to eat
Mill Road and the East
Independent shops and restaurants on Mill Road, with the commons and the river to the north-east
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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