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Christ's College, Cambridge: First Court

Christ's College, Cambridge

Christ's College, founded in 1505, is centrally located and offers accommodation in an historic setting.

Summary

  • 16th century buildings
  • 17th century buildings
  • 18th century buildings
  • 19th century buildings
  • 20th century buildings
  • Breakfast included
  • No car parking
  • No smoking
  • Minimum age 21

Facilities

  • Free broadband access
  • Shared gardens
  • Linen included
  • Towels included
  • Central heating

Food and Drinks

  • Continental breakfast (included)
  • English breakfast (included)

Nearby recreations

  • Recommended walks
  • Pub (walking distance)
  • Museums (walking distance)
  • Historic houses
  • Gardens
  • Theatre (walking distance)

Christ’s College is an oasis of calm in the very heart of the city. One moment you are in the quiet and tranquil gardens, then pass through the 500 year old Great Gate into the busy shopping centre. Christ’s College is the perfect location for visitors who are on a leisure break or are in Cambridge on business.

The accommodation available houses undergraduates during term time. The rooms are therefore not equipped to four star hotel standard but they are clean, comfortable and situated in a quiet location in the heart of the College.

 

Our en-suite rooms will either be located in Second Court or in Third Court.

All rooms in Second Court are either twin or double rooms. These rooms will be on C D and E staircases. There is a choice of either Superior twin ensuite rooms or double ensuite rooms. 

Alternatively, you may also have the choice of twin and double rooms with their own designated bathrooms. The bathroom is usually located directly oposite the bedroom.  

All rooms on C D and E staircases are light and spacious and overlook the College gardens.

Rooms in Third Court are located in New Court. These are all single ensuite rooms and have an ensuite which is a "pod" style bathroom/wetroom. These rooms are smaller than those on C, D and E staircases but are comfortable and bright and overlook the Darwin Garden.

Rooms on Z staircase & 4 staircase overlook Hobson Street & King Street both of which can be noisy. 

All rooms are equipped with tea and coffee making facilities as well as a welcome pack of toiletries. Towels are also provided. All rooms are serviced daily by a College ‘bedmaker’.

Please note we are not able to accept bookings for Stag and Hen parties

We are also not able to accept bookings for children under 17 years of age and therefore our accommodation is not suitable for families.

History to the present day

Christ's College was first established as God's-house in 1437 by William Byngham, a London parish priest, for training grammar school masters. Shortly after receiving its Royal Licence from Henry VI in 1446, God's-house was forced to move from its original site, as this was needed for the King's new project (what was to become Kings’s College). God's-house moved to its present site in 1448 where it was re-founded in 1505 as Christ’s College by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. Lady Margaret has been honoured ever since as the Foundress.

First Court dates from the 15th century and is the oldest part of the College. The Master’s Lodge, Chapel and Hall are all found in First Court as are Charles Darwin’s rooms. Charles Darwin studied here between 1828 and 1831.
Copies of the College history and postcards, as well as Darwin related products are available from the Porters’ Lodge.

Food and Drinks

Our rates include a Full English breakfast, served Monday to Friday in our Upper Hall between 8.00 to 9.00am and on a Saturday and Sunday morning between 8.30am to 9.30am.

Grounds and gardens

Christ’s College has extensive gardens laid out over four Courts. The Fellows’ Garden, which is open 5 days a week, has beautiful herbaceous borders and is home to the famous Milton’s Mulberry Tree. There is also the Darwin Garden, created as part of the celebration of the bi-centenary of his birth, and which features a sculpture of a young Charles Darwin and the Darwin Walk.

Whilst guests are most welcome to walk through the grounds of the College at all times, we do respectfully request that you do not walk or sit on any grass areas or lawns around the College grounds.

Other facilities

Should you need the use of an iron and ironing board during your stay, there is an ironing room in the P staircase laundry. There are also coin operated washing and drying machines available for use.

The Porters' Lodge has a few hairdryers that can be loaned for a £5.00 refundable deposit.

Internet access is available in all rooms. Each room will be provided with the necessary cable, guests need to bring their own laptop. Details on how to connect to the internet can be obtained from the Porters' Lodge.

Arrival information and how to find us

Address: Christ's College, Cambridge, CB2 3BU, United Kingdom

Address: Christ’s College, St. Andrew’s Street, Cambridge CB2 3BU.

Check In: From 2pm - 11pm Check Out: By 10am

After 11pm a night Porter is on site to deal with emergencies. The Porters will be pleased to store your baggage following check out whilst you have a last look around the City.

We regret there is NO parking at College.

On arrival please check in at the Porters’ Lodge on St Andrews’ Street. Please show your booking confirmation to the Porter who will provide you with your room key, a map of the College and direct you to your room. Despite the term ‘Porter’, it is not part of a College Porters’ duties to handle luggage; you must carry your own luggage to your room.
 
Also, on arrival at College all guests will be requested to complete a Guest Registration Document (As required by the Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972). Guests will need to give their name, address and nationality. Non UK guests will also be required the number and the place of issue of their passport as well as their next destination. These record must then be kept for 12 months.
  
The railway station is approximately a 20-minute walk, or there are various regular bus services which will drop you close to the College. There is also a taxi service available outside the station entrance. The bus station is also located within a few minutes walk of the College, and the National Express buses terminate on Parkside, which is a 5 minute walk to the College.
 
As the College is a place of study and many of our Fellows’ live and work on site we ask that you respect their privacy and conduct yourselves in a manner befitting an historic academic institution. All staff at Christ’s College are friendly and welcoming and we ask that you treat them respectfully.

More photos of Christ's College, Cambridge

Upper Hall

First Court from turret

Twin room on C staircase

New Court room

New Court Room

College Chapel

Darwin Garden

New Court, Third Court

Double Room

C, D and E Staircases

College Coat of Arms

View into Second Court

Hall

Great Gate

Third Court

Darwin Sculpture & Garden

Fellows' Building

Master's Lodge

View into Second Court

Twin Room D staircase

Customer feedback

We guarantee that all our feedback is genuine and can only be submitted by people who have booked through our websites.

, December 2011: Clean and tidy. Not luxury appointment, but all that was needed for a good overnight stay - very central in Cambridge. Great location! Great shower! Great breakfast! Porters were very helpful and amusing - would definitely do it again.

, December 2011: The porters were extrememly pleasant & helpful (even thought he message about our car-parking needs had not reached them....) Lovely environment, enjoyable stay, breakfast just not quite as good...

, December 2011: Lovely spacious comfortable room with plenty of storage and a very good bathroom so we had a private suite which overlooked beautiful gardens. The security keys were sensible and easy to use. The food at breakfast was a good start to the day and service was friendly. The only point I would suggest is that if the temperature dropped slightly we would welcome a blanket or bed cover.

, December 2011: Great room and good value, bathroom was clean, and the college provided a very welcoming and lovely environment. Definitely recommended for short term visits to Cambridge!

, September 2011: We both had a lovely time in a wonderful historic setting. Staff were extremly friendly. Room basic but clean and comfortable The location was perfect if you want to be in the centre of Cambridge we would thoroughly recomend. Many thanks we will be back in December, Only thing I would recomend is a clock radio.

, September 2011: Experiencing staying on a Cambridge College was all you could dream of, from dealing with the porters, breakfast in the Upper Hall, strolling around the gardens and the college itself. A wondeful experience all round,

, September 2011: Yes, have given top grade. Have xperience of such places, but the courtesy of the staff - porters, kitchen -, even the maintenance man helped towards a happy and enjoyable visit!!

, September 2011: An exceptional experience - the staff were wonderful, the grounds and buildings beautiful, breakfast at the long tables was friendly, and I would certainly want to come again.

, September 2011: We were delighted with our short stay at Christ's College and would love to return sometime. Everyone was very helpful and we would highly recommend our friends and relations to stay in such a wonderful and historic setting.

, September 2011: The overall experience was amazing - it feels such a privilege to stay in such a place. The room was very nice. The en suite a bit basic, but fine. Overall I'd certainly come back, and would recommend to friends.

, September 2011: Great experience of staying in a Cambridge college. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. I'd do I again.

, September 2011: All the College staff were very helpful, charming and just nice to know. The environment was second to none; even the guests were interesting and pleasant! The room was large, simply furnished, clean and airy (even no TV!!) and we were given a change of towels, drinks etc every day. Cambridge is , of course a beautiful city, vibrant, always interesting, but being able to share in the lovely surroundings of an ancient College was very special. We shall certainly return and my French Friend was eqally impressed: a bonus for her was the proximity of M&S! Most highly recommended!

, September 2011: What an ideal location in the centre of Cambridge in such a historic seat of learning. Beautiful buildings, good facilities, gorgeous gardens and atmosphere and very friendly Porters in the lodge. We were able to explore Cambridge completely on foot from this location. Very enjoyable. Would recommend to anyone with a love of history and lovely architecture.

, September 2011: We had an excellent stay at Christ's College. We were delighted with the standard of accommodation offered, the friendly and helpful staff and the substantial breakfast we received. We will certainly be back and have already recommended the college to several of our friends.

, September 2011: excellent friendly yet professional service. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable experience at a central and historic location--many thanks.

, September 2011: Great booking facility with lots of information - room was exactly as expected. Very pleased with overall experience.

, September 2011: As student accommodation, the room was excellent - very spacious and had everything I expected. The grounds were fantastic and the porters very friendly. Would definitely use again.

, September 2011: Staying in a Cambridge college proved a very enjoyable experience and likely to be repeated. The College staff were particularly pleasant and helpful.

, August 2011: Beautiful gardens friendly lady gardener and chatty helpful porters. Hairdryer and mirror in room would have been useful

, August 2011: The room was clean and quite spacious with the window front to King Street, not the college gardens. The staff was very friendly. I knew before the bathroom had a bath, not a shower. But I did miss a handshower in the bathtub. Breakfast was, compared to other stays in England, really good.

, August 2011: A brilliant location for the city centre and very reasonably priced. The porters were very friendly and helpful.

, July 2011: I enjoyed my night there very much. Extremely friendly staff, especially the porters. Looking forward to spending another night there next week! Simple room in a superb setting! You don't need any more...

, July 2011: A very enjoyable stay. Porters and kitchen staff very helpful.

, July 2011: The location was brilliant and the Porters extremely helpful and friendly

, July 2011: a great place in the middle of the town also the porters are very helpful

, July 2011: Fantastic place although the rooms are very simple shame no bath but Shower in bedroom. Amazing surroundings, gardens, very quiet. I warmly recommend it !!! Good experience which took me back to my college years !

, December 2010: A very enjoyable stay. The college staff made us feel most welcome.

, December 2010: We found it very enjoyable to stay in the heart of Cambridge, in our spacious double overlooking second court, and to walk around the college and pay a visit to Chapel and Hall. Staff and porters were very friendly. For the visitor with a social-historical interest, we recommend the well-written book about Christ's (for sale at the porter's lodge). One point of comment: a clothes-hook on the inside of the shower-door to hang up one's towel would have been welcome.

, December 2010: Great, lovely experience

, October 2010: Very helpful porters, nice room, good breakfast, altogether recommendable

, September 2010: No television or radio, and only a small bathroom mirror. Otherwise the room was well prepared and very clean, with a good shower.

, September 2010: Excellent experience for I and my daughter's staying at the room D4 at Christ's College, Cambridge. It's a pitty that we stay only for 1 night. I should stay for 2 or 3 nights if I already know that splendid room. It's extremely suitable for studying which my daughter loves very much.

, September 2010: I would recommend the college to others - very pleasant experience and great location

, September 2010: Overall a very enjoyable experience

, September 2010: Thank you very much for a lovely stay in Christ's College. Thank you for facilitating an early check in on our date of arrival as we were attending a wedding that same day. The college grounds are stunning, the Porters very friendly and helpful and the room was very clean and comfortable. We would consider staying here again on our next trip to Cambridge. Thank you.

, September 2010: My son and I, inveterate trevellers both, were very impressed with the standard of the rooms (would that Oxford had had such student accommodation when I was an undergraduate there), and we congratulate you on the courtesy of the porters, the bedders and the kitchen staff, who I understand are experiencing tourists at Christ's for the first time.

, September 2010: Really enjoyed staying at Christ's College. Wondeful ambience and gardens. Amazed at how quiet it was even though in the centre of town.Had problems with non functioning WC but porters dealt with swiftly by tranferring us to another room which was fine. Would certainly use the University Rooms website again.

, September 2010: Enjoyable and quiet stay at Christ's College. Helpful and very obliging proters and staff. Would strongly recommend a stay here.

, September 2010: Will be more than happy to visit again and to try accommodation at other Universities now. The Porters were wonderful when we had great difficulty with the lock to our room. Christ's College is particularly handy for the bus station and central for everything else too!!

, September 2010: We were struck by the extreme quiet in the courts and felt privileged to walk straight in. The Porters were very pleasant and welcoming.

, September 2010: My only complaint is with the sheer number of stairs to the rooms (I counted 35 outside, with more inside), which is a great inconvenience for anyone with luggage, pushchairs, or even the mildest of mobility problems. Otherwise, though, the room was spacious and clean and the porters were very kind. Thank you.

, August 2010: I am so glad I discovered this booking on the internet. I felt like I got an authentic experience by staying at Christ's College. Everyone was wonderful, from the guards to the kitchen! I will certainly recommend this website to anyone who is coming your way. Thank you for everything. p.s. I did leave my raincoat in the closet when I left and my son stopped by later-no one knew what happened to it. I do take responsibility for leaving it behind., but I wish it had been found!

, August 2010: I felt warmly welcomed and well cared-for by the Christ's College staff. The room was snug but quite adequate and modern. Visitors should be prepared to climb steps. The location was, in a word, perfect.

, August 2010: Porters couldn't have been more helpful with information and always with a smile.

, August 2010: We had a wonderful stay, and give our thanks to the most friendly, helping and welcoming porters :)

, August 2010: Room comfortable, spacious and very clean. A huge ensuite but with no cupboard or shelf for tiletries. A useful welcome letter and good map of Cambridge and details of restaurants. A very good breafast. Delightful lady working in dining hall(who had worked for the college for 30 years), who was very helpful and also gave us tourist information. Please pass on our thanks. College very central, within easy walk of all sights, bus station, taxi rank. Thank you. Would certainly use the accomodation again.

, August 2010: We had a wonderful experience. Christ's College is truly beautiful but the people at Christ's made the visit very special. Everyone from porters to the lady running the breakfasts to the curator of the Darwin room were friendly and helpful. We shall certainly use your service on future trips to UK.

, August 2010: From the time of booking and interaction with Teresa and Bill for car park assistannce the whole experience was excellent. I would reccommend this type of break to all of my friends . Thank-you

, August 2010: We picked this college because it was very central and we very pleased with our reception . The porters were very helpful and the facilities OK. We were impressed with the garden and especially the window boxes. Full marks to the gardener.

, August 2010: We enjoyed the experience very much. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. We loved the peace and quiet. Teresa McManus and Porter were extremely helpful and we much appreciated being able to park the car at the college. Thanks for a memorable stay.

, August 2010: We thouroughly enjoyed our Cambridge experience staying in Room E2. This was a sedate and plesant time for us and so different to anything that we had done before. Your porters were extreemly helpful at all times. Thank you.

, August 2010: The breakfast was excellent. The transport is very convinience for the tourists. The staffs are polite with genuine attitude. The double room is warm with the peaceful scenary of the college. If we can use the internet service(we had brought a note book) , it would be better.

, August 2010: We'll be back!

, August 2010: We had a fantastic experience at this college and will highly recommend to our friends - thank-you! The porters were particularly freindly and helpful, as well as the staff we encoutered in the dining hall.

, August 2010: A joy to be back in my old college and on my old staircase too! No breakfast on Sundays a bit of a disadvantage, but college staff deserve a break. Beautiful view out into second court and such a pleasure to stroll around first court - Cambridge's jewel, especially when the wisteria is in flower in April/May.

, August 2010: Very peaceful and comfortable rooms and we appreciated being right in the heart of Cambridge. The staff at the Porters Lodge were very helpful.

, July 2010: It was a wonderful experience to stay at one of the famous colleges - at least for one night.

, July 2010: Bare essentials in the room, but entirely adequate. A splendid location which we greatly enjoyed.

, July 2010: Christ's College was simply an exceptionally beautiful place to stay--it was a privelege.

, July 2010: All staff very helpful

, July 2010: What a lovely, relaxing and quiet retreat place within the hustle and bustle of Cambridge City. Arriving later than expected was no problem for the night porter. Breakfast was scrumpy, with lots of choice also. The room was clean and warm and comfortable. Certainly we'd love to come back and highly recommend a stay in Christ's. Thank you.

, July 2010: The Porters were just so kind and helpful and went out of their way to welcome you and sort out any issues. Breakfast staff were equally nice

, July 2010: Very much enjoyed our stay at Christs College. Excellent being central and all staff helpful, particularly the reception gentlemen. A small point, a mirror in the bedroom would have been helpful. Would recommend this College accommodation to other friends.

, July 2010: An excellent service and good value

, July 2010: Great value stay in a lovely central location, the grounds are beautiful. Room was very large, clean with a comfortable bed.

, July 2010: Greatly impressed by the spacious room, and the beautiful outlook onto the second court. Felt I was much better off that in the new block. Agree with another comment on your website about lack of a mirror in the room.

, July 2010: Porters at Christ College very friendly and helpful. A lovely place to stay

, July 2010: What a great location for a visit to Cambridge right in the centre of town but with the quiet of the courtyards and gardens. Accommodation good and would definitely book again if returning to the city.

, July 2010: My wife and I experienced a level of assistance from the porters at Christ's College Cambridge which was as good as if not better than any we would expect from the concierge of a 5 star hotel. They couldn't have been more welcoming, friendly and helpful. Our room was comfortable and spotlessly clean. Breakfast was excellent. Thank you.

, July 2010: Emphasise the marvelous atmosphere and tranquility of Oxbridge colleges. It would be useful [1] to inform potential visitors of the Cambridge Park & Ride facility. [2] to remind visitors to take their iPods, or equivalent!

, July 2010: Very pleasant staff (porters), beautiful setting, room a bit basic but perfectly adequate, slightly disappointed not to be taking breakfast in the Hall! Pity there is no breakfast on Sundays as we would have stayed another night

, July 2010: I came with my 2 friends and stayed at Christs College for my 30th Birthday. We had a really lovely weekend, the college was beautiful and the Porters were lovely and very helpful

, July 2010: This was a wonderful visit right from the first moment with such a genial welcome from the Porter and his staff, who were so helpful always. My room was very comfortable - right on the ground floor. I looked out of the window and felt I was in "Brideshead Revisited" Thankyou very much.

, July 2010: Think a shelf over the washbasin would come in very handy. Maybe also a mirror in the bedroom. Very nice stay.

, July 2010: I had a really great stay, lovely view of the darwin garden. Shame about the loud music one night (saturday).

, July 2010: This was our firts visit to Cambridge and we were really impressed with our stay at Christs College, The staff were absolutely superb. The Porters Lodge staff, led by Geoffrey were so friendly and helpful. Without any doubt we will be staying at Christs again, hopefully in the very near future.

, July 2010: This wasa`very good experience. The porters were very helpful ie minding case and giving general information. very enjoyable and excellant value

, July 2010: The portes were fantastic, friendly and super welcoming.

, March 2010: Really enjoyed our time at Christ's Collage, Cambridge and would certainly go again. Kind regards, Bernadette

, March 2010: Lovely visit in excellent surroundings. Extremely helpful staff. Will return.

, March 2010: This was our first visit to Cambridge. As a base Christs College allowed us to explore your fantastic historic city with all those wonderful college buildings at a quiet time of the year. We shall certainly return.

, February 2010: We thoroughly enjoyed our stay & found the facilities very good.

, February 2010: We were more than happy with the space, the beauty, the centrality and the peace of our accommodation at Christ's, and would happily go again.

, February 2010: lovely experience, nice place, nice guys at the reception

, August 2009: I had breakfast too and it was very good.

, August 2009: Everything fine and v comfortable, just a few small comments: - website didn't make clear breakfast was included in booking (which it was!) - room v nice but lacking long mirror - would have been helpful. Students may not need them but visitors do! - Porters at College very friendly and helpful.

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