Central · Founded 1511
St John's College
A college that spans the Cam, whose Bridge of Sighs and New Court form one of the most photographed views in Cambridge.
The college
A closer
look.
Central — St John's Street
Founded 1511. Founded in 1511 by the executors of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, on the site of the thirteenth-century Hospital of St John the Evangelist.
Tudor brick courts run back from the Great Gate to the river, where Henry Hutchinson's Bridge of Sighs of 1831 crosses to the neo-Gothic New Court, nicknamed the wedding cake; the chapel and its landmark tower are by Sir George Gilbert Scott.
On a visit
Don’t miss.
- 01The Bridge of Sighs
- 02New Court and its wedding-cake lantern
- 03The Tudor Great Gate on St John's Street
- 04Second Court's Elizabethan brickwork
- 05The chapel tower by George Gilbert Scott
- 06The view from the Kitchen Bridge
Connected to
Notable
names.
- William Wordsworth
- William Wilberforce
- Paul Dirac
- Fred Hoyle
- Douglas Adams
- Manmohan Singh
Before you go
Visiting St John's College
The grounds are open to visitors between 9.30am and 4.30pm, and the college charges admission during the summer visitor season, with free entry for Cambridge residents, University card holders, alumni and those attending chapel services. The grounds can close at short notice for events, so check the college website before visiting.
Opening hours, admission and access change often — check the official site before you travel.
- Founded
- 1511
- Area
- Central — St John's Street
- Type
- College
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