Trinity College

Trinity fills much of the block between Trinity Street and the river. Henry VIII founded it in 1546 by merging two older colleges, Michaelhouse and King's Hall, along with several hostels. The king had been confiscating church property, and the universities feared they were next; the tale is that Catherine Parr persuaded him to create one new college instead of closing them.

What to look for

• The Great Gate. The founder's statue stands above the entrance on Trinity Street. Beneath it are the arms of Edward III and of his sons, and in 1704 the university's first astronomical observatory was built on the gatehouse roof.
• Great Court. Master Thomas Nevile built it between 1599 and 1608, demolishing most of Michaelhouse to make room. The Master's Lodge here is where the sovereign stays when in Cambridge.
• Nevile's Court and the Wren Library. Cloisters run around Nevile's Court of 1614, which is closed at its west end by Christopher Wren's library, built 1676-1695. Its treasures include two Shakespeare First Folios and a 14th-century manuscript of Piers Plowman; see also Trinity College Chapel.
• New Court. The Tudor-Gothic court of 1825 by William Wilkins has a large tree in the middle. A story that it is the apple tree of Isaac Newton is a myth: Newton was at Woolsthorpe, and this is a horse chestnut.
• The Backs. The college grounds beside the Cam are part of the riverside view; see The Backs.

Later changes to the courts

Nevile's Court of 1614 was originally two-thirds of its present length and had no library at the far end. It was extended, and its upper floor remodelled slightly, in 1758 by James Essex. Essex also designed the kitchens of 1770-75 in Great Court, which replaced the last surviving building of Michaelhouse.

Societies and customs

Among its student societies is the Trinity Mathematical Society, which is often described as the senior maths society at any UK university. A dessert called "Trinity burnt cream", an English cousin of crème brûlée, is popularly traced to the college kitchens. It has also had a link with the parish of St George's, Camberwell, in south London since 1966, when students began helping to run holiday schemes for the parish's children; the arrangement became a registered charity, Trinity in Camberwell, in 1979.

Practical notes

At present the courts, Great Court included, are closed to the public, but the college runs guided tours led by its Porters at 10:00 and 14:00 each day. They cost £10 per person, free for children under 12, and are booked online; meet at the Great Gate a few minutes early. The Dining Hall is not on the tour. The Backs normally open to the public from 09:00 to 17:00, though special events can close them, so ring the Porters' Lodge on 01223 338400 first.