Cambridge Colleges Picturebook, II: St. John's, Corpus Christi, Queens'

St. John's College is the most picturesque campus in Cambridge. It was founded in 1511 by Lady Margaret Beaufort (mother of Henry VII). St. John's is second in size with 800 students. Only Trinity has more.








This front gate is definitely the most colorful of all the Cambridge colleges.












In this view you are looking at the inside of the front gate as seen from First Court.












Here is St. John's Chapel. St. John's is the second school to have a Choir School for boys (Kings is the other school). Evensong is sung by the boys choir (and the music is beautiful). The chapel was designed by George Gilbert Scott.












Along the outside of St. John's Chapel are life-like statues (in the niches) of former members of the college.











Julie P. took the next two pictures, of the interior of St. John's Chapel.













It's difficult to see here, but the chapel ceiling is stunningly beautiful.














This is called First Court and dates from the 1500s.








Second Court, pictured here, dates from the 1600s. . .













. . . and Third Court dates from the 1700s.











This building is called the School of Pythagoras. No one knows why: Pythagoras was never here. In addition, there are no triangles evident in or around the building! It is one of the oldest surviving houses in England, having been built in the 12th century.










Here is another building on the campus of St. John's College. St. John's was the first college to breech the Cam and build on the other side of the river.










This is the Bridge of Sighs, modeled after the original in Venice. It's one of 2 bridges that lead from St. John's across the Cam.












Once you go over the Bridge of Sighs, here's your view, of a beautiful corridor leading to New Court.


















Here's a view of New Court at St. John's. It's called the Wedding Cake and is almost perfectly symmetrical.












Here's a close-up of the left side of the Wedding Cake. These are student dorm rooms.












This is a picture of the back of New Court looking from the Cam.

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Below are pictures of Corpus Christi College, usually closed to visitors. We were able to enter as part of a Newcomers Club tour. Corpus Christi was founded in 1352 by two citizens guilds.








This is the front gate, entered from Trumpington St.













This is New Court and houses the Parker Library. The Parker Library contains the most important collections of medieval manuscripts and books in England. Included in this collection is St. Augustine's Bible, dating from around 800.












This is another view of New Court.













Look at this! It's called Old Court and is the oldest surviving residential range in Cambridge or Oxford.










Here's another view of Old Court. The playwright Christopher Marlowe was a student here.













This is a beautiful picture of the sundial on the side of the building in Old Court.

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The next college is Queens' College, founded in 1448 next to a Carmelite friary. It's named after two queens (Margaret of Anjou, queen to Henry VI and Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV).



The main gate is shown here. It hides the beautiful campus inside.












Upon entering the gate, you are in Old Court, pictured here.










This clock is on the side of the building in Old Court.











Cloister Court, shown here, is definitely one of Cambridges most beautiful courtyards.












This view, of Cloister Court, shows the outer wall of Old Court.














Here's yet another view of cloister court. The most famous student of Queens' College was Desiderius Erasmus.






This is the Mathematical Bridge which connects Cloister Court to Lyon and Cripps Courts (dorms) on the other side of the Cam. Legend says that when the original bridge was built (in 1749) no screws or bolts were necessary. This is the third bridge on the site, constructed to an identical design.