Tourists under Bridge of Sighs at Saint John's College. Named for a famous Venice landmark, this circa-1831 covered arch bridge connects campus buildings, Cambridge, England, 21st of May 2017; Shutterstock ID 763444831; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

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St John's College

Cambridge

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Alma mater of six prime ministers, three saints and Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), St John's is superbly photogenic. Founded in 1511 by Henry VII's mother, Margaret Beaufort, it sprawls along both riverbanks, joined by the Bridge of Sighs, a masterpiece of stone tracery and a focus for student pranks. Going into the college or taking a punting tour are the only ways to get a clear view of the structure.

Over the bridge is the 19th-century New Court, an extravagant neo-Gothic creation, and out to the left are impressive views of the Backs. Parts of the college are much older and the chapel, though smaller than King's, is one of Cambridge's hidden gems.

St John's is the second-biggest college after Trinity.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • View inside Kings college Chapel Cambridge, showing the fan vault ceiling and vast wooden paneling, and amazing stain glass windows.

    King's College Chapel

    0.21 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…

  • The Gatehouse, Trinity College, Cambridge

    Trinity College

    0.05 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…

  • Interior of Ely Cathedral

    Ely Cathedral

    14.58 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…

  • A view of Kings College from the Backs with punting in the foreground, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

    The Backs

    0.17 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…

  • CAMBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM - 2009/06/14: Fitzwilliam Museum at the university city. (Photo by Olaf Protze/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Fitzwilliam Museum

    0.55 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…

  • Imperial War Museum

    Imperial War Museum

    7.74 MILES

    At Europe's biggest aviation museum, 200 lovingly preserved vintage aircraft are housed in several enormous hangars. The vast airfield showcases…

  • Audley End House & Gardens

    Audley End House & Gardens

    13.65 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…

  • CAMBRIDGE, UK - 03.11.2020: Exterior view of the Polar Museum at the Scott Polar Research Institute on on Lensfield Road

    Polar Museum

    0.74 MILES

    Tales of hostile environments, dogged determination and, sometimes, life-claiming mistakes are evoked powerfully at this compelling museum. Its focus on…

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Nearby Cambridge attractions

1. Trinity College

0.05 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…

2. Round Church

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Cambridge’s intensely atmospheric Round Church is one of only four such structures in England. It was built by the mysterious Knights Templar in 1130 and…

3. Gonville & Caius College

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Known locally as Caius (pronounced 'keys'), Gonville and Caius boasts three fascinating gates: Virtue, Humility and Honour. They symbolise the progress of…

4. Wren Library

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The renowned Wren Library contains 55,000 books published before 1820 and more than 2500 manuscripts, including AA Milne's original Winnie the Pooh. Both…

5. Senate House

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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…

6. Trinity Hall College

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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…

7. The Backs

0.17 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…

8. Great St Mary's Church

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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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