Garret Hostel Bridge
A public foot and cycle bridge at the end of Garret Hostel Lane, one of three that link the centre to the Backs.
Pedestrians and cyclists cross the Cam here, at the foot of Garret Hostel Lane. Only three public bridges connect the city centre with the Backs: this one, Silver Street Bridge and Magdalene Bridge. Counting every bridge along the river, it is the tenth, and the sixth over the middle stream. It sits between Clare Bridge and Trinity College Bridge, close to Trinity Hall and Trinity College.
The lane and the name
The lane takes its name from a building that passed in 1329 to Michaelhouse, one of the university's earlier colleges. That hostel was demolished in the seventeenth century. A first bridge on the spot was built in 1455. The current crossing was designed around 1960 by a student of the University's School of Architecture who was then an undergraduate. It is listed at Grade II.
An earlier timber bridge of the same design as the Mathematical Bridge once stood where this one does now. The present bridge is a plain modern crossing by comparison, but it is a handy route over the river on foot or by bike.
Practical notes
No admission, opening hours or booking are needed: it is a public crossing. Quiet moments are easier to find early in the morning, when the Backs are less busy.
Nearby
Within a few minutes' walk
