Clare College
The second-oldest surviving college, with Cambridge's oldest bridge and a view of King's.
Clare is the second-oldest surviving college after Peterhouse, and it sits right on the river with one of the best-known views along the Backs. The university's chancellor Richard Badew founded it in 1326 as University Hall, with funds for only two fellows. In 1338 Elizabeth de Clare, whose grandfather was Edward I, refounded it as Clare Hall, a name it kept until 1856.
What to look for
- Old Court. Construction ran from 1638 to 1715 with a long gap for the Civil War, and the court is Grade I listed. The northern wing still has Gothic vaulting, while the south block shows fully developed classicism. Seen from the Backs, the court frames the chapel of King's College.
- Clare Bridge. Thomas Grumbold built it in 1640, and it is the oldest of Cambridge's present bridges, also Grade I listed. One of its fourteen stone balls has a segment missing, and the college tells a story of an underpaid builder; see Clare Bridge.
- The chapel. Sir James Burrough designed it in 1763, and its altarpiece is Cipriani's Annunciation.
- Memorial Court. Across the river, this 1920s court honours Clare men lost in the First World War; its great arch carries the names of those who died in both world wars.
- The River Wing. Witherford Watson Mann's recent extension to Old Court won a RIBA National Award in 2026.
Memorial Court and the newer courts
Giles Gilbert Scott drew up Memorial Court, which was dedicated in 1926 and is listed Grade II*. Its entrance arch holds a large bell as well as the names of the fallen. Thirkill Court was added in the 1950s. When the Forbes Mellon Library was later built in the middle of the site, the court split in two, and the new western courtyard took the name Ashby Court. The last undeveloped plot in the central area went to Lerner Court, by van Heyningen and Haward Architects, which opened in January 2008 with a lecture theatre, catering facilities, fellows' offices and student rooms.
The college arms
The arms combine two shields side by side: gold with three red chevronels for the de Clare family, and gold with a red cross for de Burgh, the family of Elizabeth de Clare's first husband, John de Burgh. A black border dotted with gold droplets surrounds both, a border that also appears on Elizabeth's personal seal.
Practical notes
The college has three sites. Old Court is on Trinity Lane, Memorial Court is reached over the bridge by the Avenue, and Castle Court is on Chesterton Road. Public opening times are not published; the college's visiting page speaks of prospective applicants and alumni, who should report to the Porters' Lodge in Old Court or Memorial Court.
Nearby
Within a few minutes' walk
