Meeting Point

In front of the entrance to King's College on King's Parade

The first court of King's College

Here we have a view of King's College Chapel, one of the largest private chapels in the world. The chapel took 100 years to build because, during the War of the Roses, its construction went through the reign of five very different kings. We see the statue of the college's founder, the first king: Henry VI - a reluctant monarch.

Inside King's College Chapel

First we start to look at the windows. The chapel has 25, massive, stained glass windows all created by English and European craftsmen in the 1500s. The windows all tell Bible stories.

The fourth window

Here is the circumcision of Baby Jesus. But look, Baby Jesus has red hair. Could this be because Henry VIII, the king who paid for the windows had red hair?

The fan vault ceiling

This is the largest fan vault ceiling in the world. It is regarded as a masonry miracle.

The stone carvings

All around the chapel are tributes to the Tudor Dynasty. There are no religious symbols.

The Organ Screen

The dark oak organ screen was the gift of Henry VIII, he of the six wives. On it were carved the initials of his second wife, Anne Boleyn. After he had her executed, he asked for Anne's initials to be removed. But the college said no. They remain.

The Choir

Here is the place where the famous King's College Choir sits.

The Ninth Window

The upper part shows the manna from Heaven which sustained the Israelites in the desert - underneath is the last supper. A wooden tub filled with water cools a jug of wine at the base of the picture.

The East Window and Window 16

The East Window shows the crucifixion of Christ. Whimsically, it shows two Roman soldiers gambling for Jesus's cloak as he is above them on the cross.

The Rubens Painting

The Adoration of the Magi by Peter Paul Rubens was given to the college in 1959. It caused controversy at the time. Twenty fellows, including the novelist E M Forster signed a letter saying they didn't want it.

The exhibition in a side chapel

This exhibition has copies of the college charter. It also has the heavy oak chest which once held the 5,000 pounds of gold given by one of the five kings to finish building the chapel.

The West Window

Different from all the other huge windows, this one is Victorian. Jesus is seen in Heaven. Underneath him are wicked souls being poked with red-hot pokers into Hell. Among them is Richard III desperately holding on to his crown.

The Grounds

We walk alongside the river, which runs through the college grounds. This offers the most photogenic view of the west end of the chapel (the iconic emblem of Cambridge).

The Bridge over the River Cam and the Chinese Stone

The Chinese Ston is a piece of marble from Beijing. On it are carved the first and last lines of a poem, famous throughout China, written by Xu Zhimo the Chinese poet who studied at King's College in the 1920s. The poem is called The Sadness of Leaving Cambridge.

The Wilkins' Screen and E M Forster's Window

The carved stone wall which fronts the college was designed by William Wilkins who also designed the National Gallery in London. It was created nearly 400 years later than the design for the chapel but Wilkins designed in in the same style. High up, near by is the novelist E M Forster's room. So he really did have "A Room with a View".

Ending Point

The Eagle Pub