Queens' College, Cambridge University

Old Court, Queens' College

The queens commemorated in the name of Queens' College are Queen Margaret and Queen Elizabeth Woodville. The regular entrance to Queens' is in Silver Street, through a medieval brick gatehouse, but visitors to the college enter through the appropriately named Visitors' Gate, in Queens' Lane.

Old Court is the original medieval core of the college, with the centrepiece being Old Hall, erected in 1449 by Reginald Ely. That medieval building was drastically remodelled in 1732 in the present ornate classical style. The Tudor linenfold panelling was removed to the President's Study at that time.

Over the High Table are three portraits of members of the Grey family, including that of Queen Elizabeth Woodville. The painted and gilded ceiling decoration scheme, a product of the mid-Victorian period, is quite extraordinary.

The Astrological Clock

Proceed to Cloister Court for a glimpse of an attractive building, half-timbered President's Lodge, home of the college Master. The simple and elegant college chapel was built in 1888 to a design by G.F. Bodley. The architect designed the reredos behind the altar, into which is fitted a late-15th century triptych, attributed to the otherwise unknown Master of the View of Sainte-Gudule.

Queens' was the first of Cambridge colleges to charge admission to visitors, in an attempt to fund soundproofing efforts to diminish street noise from intruding into the college.

Visiting
Queens' has a rather confusing timetable of visiting hours, but as a general rule the college is open to visitors in the afternoon on weekdays and from 10 am on weekends. The only parts of the college regularly open to visitors are the Old Hall (1449) and the Chapel (1891). Visit the Queens' website (listed below) for up-to-date information on visiting.