The foundations of Cambridge's sublime university church date from 1010. It was burnt to the ground in the 1290s and rebuilt in 1351. The major expansion of 1478–1519 resulted in the late-Gothic Perpendicular style you see today. Striking features include the mid-Victorian stained-glass windows, seating galleries and two organs – unusual in a church. The tower (adult/child £4/2.50) was added in 1690; climb it for superb vistas of Cambridge’s dreamy spires.
Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock
Great St Mary's Church
Cambridge
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.05 MILES
In a city crammed with showstopping buildings, this is a scene-stealer. Grandiose 16th-century King's College Chapel is one of England’s most…
0.13 MILES
The largest of Cambridge's colleges, Trinity offers an extraordinary Tudor gateway, an air of supreme elegance and a sweeping Great Court – the largest of…
14.73 MILES
Ely Cathedral’s stunning silhouette dominates the whole area; it’s dubbed the 'Ship of the Fens' because it’s so visible across the vast, flat sweeps of…
0.25 MILES
Behind the Cambridge colleges’ grandiose facades and stately courts, a series of gardens and parks line up beside the river. Collectively known as the…
0.38 MILES
Fondly dubbed 'the Fitz' by locals, this colossal neoclassical pile was one of the first public art museums in Britain, built to house the fabulous…
7.57 MILES
At Europe's biggest aviation museum, 200 lovingly preserved vintage aircraft are housed in several enormous hangars. The vast airfield showcases…
13.49 MILES
Positively palatial in its scale, style and the all-too-apparent ambition of its creator, the first Earl of Suffolk, the fabulous early-Jacobean Audley…
0.59 MILES
Tales of hostile environments, dogged determination and, sometimes, life-claiming mistakes are evoked powerfully at this compelling museum. Its focus on…
Nearby Cambridge attractions
0.03 MILES
This beautiful classical structure (not open to the public), tucked in beside King's College, was designed in 1730 by James Gibbs. Graduations are held…
0.04 MILES
Known locally as Caius (pronounced 'keys'), Gonville and Caius boasts three fascinating gates: Virtue, Humility and Honour. They symbolise the progress of…
0.05 MILES
In a city crammed with showstopping buildings, this is a scene-stealer. Grandiose 16th-century King's College Chapel is one of England’s most…
0.08 MILES
Wedged cosily among the great and famous colleges (but unconnected to better-known Trinity), diminutive Trinity Hall was founded in 1350 as a refuge for…
0.11 MILES
The second-oldest Cambridge University college, riverside Clare was founded in 1326.
0.11 MILES
Made from 24-carat gold, the Corpus Clock displays the time through a series of concentric LED lights. A hideous-looking insect 'time-eater' crawls across…
0.13 MILES
The largest of Cambridge's colleges, Trinity offers an extraordinary Tudor gateway, an air of supreme elegance and a sweeping Great Court – the largest of…
0.17 MILES
Corpus Christi was founded in 1352, a heritage reflected in its exquisite buildings and a monastic atmosphere that radiates from the medieval Old Court…
- placement: superzone
- path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
- possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
- targeting:
{ "url": "england/eastern-england/cambridge/attractions/great-st-mary-s-church/a/poi-sig/458963/358889", "destination": "Cambridge", "continent": "Europe", "country": "England", "city": "Cambridge", "position": "superzone" }