Peterhouse

Cambridge


The oldest and smallest college, charming Peterhouse was founded in 1284. Much of the college was rebuilt or added to over the years, including the exceptional little chapel built in 1632, but the beautifully restored main hall is bona-fide 13th century.

Rumours abound among students – vigorously denied by college authorities – of hauntings and spectral happenings on the site. Three Nobel Prize winners count themselves among Peterhouse's alumni.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cambridge attractions

1. Little St Mary's Church

0.03 MILES

The church's unwieldy original name was St Peter's-without-Trumpington-Gate, which gave St Peter's College (latterly Peterhouse) its name. Inside is a…

2. Fitzwilliam Museum

0.08 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…

3. Corpus Christi College

0.15 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…

4. Queens' College

0.19 MILES

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5. Corpus Clock

0.2 MILES

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6. Emmanuel College

0.27 MILES

The 16th-century Emmanuel College ('Emma' to students) is famous for its exquisite chapel designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Seek out the plaque…

7. King's College Chapel

0.28 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…

8. Great St Mary's Church

0.31 MILES

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…

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