Peterhouse and Pembroke College - and Jason and I Get Fancy!

We were all up early Saturday, so we decided to see if we could beat the tourists to a couple of the nearby colleges so Jason could see a few with us. We lucked at at both Peterhouse which was opening just as we arrived and Pembroke which closed it’s entry gates right after we entered in preparation for an afternoon wedding. On both fronts the result was having the grounds nearly to ourselves. Not a small feat on a summer weekend!

Peterhouse is the oldest college in Cambridge, established in 1284. The grounds were beautiful and very similar to many of the older colleges.

Main entrance on Trumpington Street with college chapel on the right:

Quintessential Peterhouse photo:

Formal dining hall with “high table” on the far wall. This is where the college fellows dine, at a slightly raised table to signify their superiority!

We had a good friend who was a member of Pembroke College, so we had spent a fair amount of time there in the past, but our visits must have been centered around eating, because once we got there I didn’t remember much beyond the dining hall! Established in 1347, it is the third oldest college in Cambridge, and physically, one of the largest. It also boasts buildings from almost every century since its founding.

I recognized the pretty first court:

But had no recollection of the gorgeous library:

Or the beautiful student accommodations:

 

Every corner we turned we found more stunning architecture.

Realizing that we were right next door to Corpus Christi College and that we would need a member of the university to get in for free, we decided we would take advantage of having Jason with us and make one more stop before calling it a day.

Corpus Christi is notable because it is the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople rather than bishops, dukes, and lords. Established in 1352 it is the sixth oldest college in Cambridge.

After a whirlwind morning touring colleges, we decided to head home and relax a bit before dinner. Jason and I were invited to Churchill College Fellows’ Guest night and needed some time to get ready. College dinners in Cambridge are never a casual affair. We attended many of these with friends during our previous tenure here, but not knowing many people in the university anymore, we didn’t expect to get to relive those fond memories this visit. When Joanna extended the invitation, we were so excited! It was such a fun, oh-so-typically Cambridge evening!