The queens commemorated in the name of Queen's College are Queen
Margaret and Queen Elizabeth Woodville. The regular entrance to Queens
is in Silver Street, through a medieval brick gatehouse, but visitors
to the college enter through the appropriately named Visitors' Gate,
in Queens' Lane.
Old Court is the original medieval core of the college, with the
centrepiece being Old Hall, erected in 1449 by Reginald Ely. That
medieval building was drastically remodelled in 1732 in the present
ornate classical style. The Tudor linenfold panelling was removed
to the President's Study at that time. Over the High Table are three
portraits of members of the Grey family, including that of Queen Elizabeth
Woodville. The painted and gilded ceiling decoration scheme, a product
of the mid Victorian period, is quite extraordinary.
Proceed on Cloister Court for a glimpse of an attractive building,
half-timbered President's Lodge, home of the college Master. The simple
and elegant college chapel was built in 1888 to a design by G.F. Bodley.
The architect designed the reredos behind the altar, into which is
fitted a late-15th century tryptich, attributed to the otherwise unknown
Master of the View of Sainte-Gudule.
Queen's was the first of Cambridge colleges to charge admission to
visitors, in an attempt to fund soundproofing efforts to diminish
street noise from intruding into the college.
Contact information
Queens' College
Silver Street
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB3 9ET
Telephone: 01223 335511 (College Switchboard)
01223 335522 (Fax)
web site
Visiting
Queens has a rather confusing timetable of visiting hours, but as
a general rule the college is open to visitors in the afternoon on
weekdays and from 10am on weekends. The only parts of the college
regularly open to visitors are the Old Hall (1449) and the Chapel
(1891).
Entry: free in winter months. Charge applies during the summer.