Clare College

Clare College stands beside the River Cam in central Cambridge. Founded in 1326 as University Hall, it was refounded in 1338 by Elizabeth de Clare and took its present name in 1856. The college’s coat of arms shows her husband’s arms impaled with her own, marked by a border of golden droplets. Women were admitted as undergraduates in 1972, one of the first three colleges to do so. Clare is known for its chapel choir and riverside gardens on the Backs. The college’s buildings trace three centuries of architectural change. Old Court, built between 1638 and 1715, shows Gothic vaulting in its northern wing and full classicism in the southern block. Clare Bridge, the oldest surviving bridge in Cambridge, was built in 1640 and carries fourteen stone balls, one missing a segment. Memorial Court, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott and opened in 1926, commemorates Clare men lost in the First World War. Visitors walk through Old Court to see King’s College Chapel framed by its archways. Clare Bridge leads across the Cam to Memorial Court, where a monumental arch lists war dead and houses a large bell. The Forbes Mellon Library sits at the centre of Memorial Court, dividing it into Ashby Court. Lerner Court, opened in 2008, provides a lecture theatre, offices and student laundry near the centre of the college. Castle Court offers quiet accommodation north of the city on Castle Hill.