Photo: Ed g2s · CC BY-SA 3.0
Central · Founded 1326
Clare College
The second-oldest college in Cambridge pairs one of its most serene courts with the oldest bridge on the Cam and celebrated riverside gardens on the Backs.
The college
A closer
look.
Central — Trinity Lane
Founded 1326. Founded in 1326 as University Hall and refounded in 1338 through the endowment of Lady Elizabeth de Clare, a granddaughter of Edward I, it was known as Clare Hall until 1856 and is the second-oldest Cambridge college after Peterhouse.
Old Court, rebuilt between 1638 and 1715, wraps harmonious classical ranges around a single court beside King's College Chapel; Thomas Grumbold's Clare Bridge of 1640 is the oldest surviving bridge on the Cam, and Giles Gilbert Scott's Memorial Court carries the college across the river.
On a visit
Don’t miss.
- 01Clare Bridge of 1640
- 02Old Court
- 03The Fellows' Garden on the Backs
- 04The eighteenth-century chapel
- 05Memorial Court by Giles Gilbert Scott
Connected to
Notable
names.
- David Attenborough, undergraduate
- James Watson, research student during the discovery of DNA's structure
- Hugh Latimer, Reformation martyr
- Siegfried Sassoon, undergraduate
- Paul Mellon, philanthropist and alumnus
Before you go
Visiting Clare College
Visitors are asked to report to the Porters' Lodge in Old Court or Memorial Court, and the riverside gardens are open at advertised times; access has varied with building works and the academic year, so current arrangements are set out on the college website.
Opening hours, admission and access change often — check the official site before you travel.
- Founded
- 1326
- Area
- Central — Trinity Lane
- Type
- College
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