Central · Founded 1347
Pembroke College
It holds Christopher Wren's first completed building and has educated a remarkable run of poets, from Edmund Spenser and Thomas Gray to Ted Hughes.
The college
A closer
look.
Central — Trumpington Street
Founded 1347. Founded in 1347 by Marie de St Pol, Countess of Pembroke, making it the third-oldest college in Cambridge.
The 14th-century Old Court survives at the heart of the college, but the set piece is the chapel of 1665, Christopher Wren's first completed building, joined by Alfred Waterhouse's Victorian library with its clock tower and by long gardens behind.
On the same walk
Closest to
this one.
On a visit
Don’t miss.
- 01Wren's chapel of 1665
- 0214th-century Old Court
- 03Alfred Waterhouse's library clock tower
- 04The statue of William Pitt the Younger
- 05The gardens and bowling green
Connected to
Notable
names.
- William Pitt the Younger
- Edmund Spenser
- Thomas Gray
- Ted Hughes
- Eric Idle
- Clive James
Before you go
Visiting Pembroke College
Visitors may explore the grounds and chapel free of charge, generally every day between about 9am and 5pm, though staircases and building interiors are private. The college closes to visitors from late April to late June during the exam period, so it is worth checking in advance.
Opening hours, admission and access change often — check the official site before you travel.
- Founded
- 1347
- Area
- Central — Trumpington Street
- Type
- College
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