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Cambridge Private Tour - The Crucifixion Window
The Crucifixion Window
Cambridge Private Tour - King's College Chapel
King's College Chapel
Cambridge Private Tour - Punting on The River Cam
Punting on The River Cam
Cambridge Private Tour - Some of King's Chapel windows
Some of King's Chapel windows
Cambridge Private Tour - Richard III clings to his crown
Richard III clings to his crown
Cambridge Private Tour - A side view of The Chapel
A side view of The Chapel
Cambridge Private Tour - The Entrance to King's
The Entrance to King's
Cambridge Private Tour - The Chinese Stone
The Chinese Stone
Cambridge Private Tour - King's entrance from inside
King's entrance from inside

A Tour of King's College Chapel and Grounds

Art, Culture, & Historical
Cambridge Tour Guide - Angela D.

Joined 2025

Angela D.
Identity Verified
Interview-Based Quality Checks
Cambridge
English (Native)
1 hr 30 mins
Private tour (only you and Angela D.)
Up to 15 people

This tour includes a visit to the splendid King's College Chapel. with its sixteenth century stained glass windows and the college grounds which cross the river. The chapel took 100 years to build because it went through the reigns of five different kings. There is also the Chinese Stone, a marble moment on which are inscribed the first and last lines of the poem The Sadness of Leaving Cambridge by the Chinese poet Xu Zhimo who studied at King's in the 1920s.

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

10:00 AM

Meeting Point

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

10:00 AM

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.


The founding king was a shy man, uninterested in power. Passionate about education, he started two schools for poor boys: "The sons of destitute men." A grammar school in London and a choir school in Cambridge - and King's College. He wasn't interested in courting women. He died a captive in the Tower of London. The next king so interested in chasing women, it's a wonder he had time for anything else.


The third king had his two nephews murdered so he could get to the throne. The fourth created England's most famous dynasty and the fifth had six wives and cut the heads off two of them.

10:10 AM

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 with the Old Testament at the top and the New Testament underneath. It was thought when the windows were created that the Old Testament foretold what would happen in the new and that there was a kind of balance between the two.


In window number three, we see Eve holding the apple. She has been offered it by the serpent who is disguised as a beautiful woman in a red dress. Underneath, we see Mary being told by the Angel Gabriel that she will be the mother of Christ. So the fall of women is balanced by the redemption of women.

10:10 AM

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?

10:10 AM

The fan vault ceiling

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

10:10 AM

The stone carvings

All around the chapel are tributes to the Tudor Dynasty. There are no religious symbols. The chapel, which began as an act of faith, in honour of the glory of God - ends as a statement of power. But every one is 500 years old, carved by hand, every piece is different so the craftsman's creativity is expressed.

10:20 AM

The Organ Screen

The intricately carved, dark oak organ screen, underneath the mighty organ, was the gift of Henry VIII, he of the six wives. We can date the screen because it has the initials of his second wife, Anne Boleyn to whom he was married in the early 1530s.


Eleven days after he had Anne's head cut off, he married his third wife, Jane Seymour. He then asked the college to remove Anne's initials and replace them with Jane's. The college refused and Anne's initials are still there for us to see.

10:20 AM

The Choir

Here is the place where the famous King's College Choir sits. This choir, made up of choral students from the college and boys from King's School (founded for poor boys by the first king, Henry VI) is famous and broadcasts all over the world.


The most famous service of all is the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, broadcast across the world on Christmas Eve. But how did this start? It began in Cornwall.

10:30 AM

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.

10:30 AM

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. It says in the Old Testament that the Messiah's garment shall not be "rent". It shall not be torn so instead of drawing lots, two men are throwing dice for it.


In the 16th window, we have the story of escape and return: Jonah escapes from the belly of the whale. St Tobias returns home to his family. Jesus emerges from the tomb and Jesus appears to his mother Mary. Again, there are human interpretations of these stories.

10:30 AM

The Rubens Painting

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


They were over-ruled.

10:40 AM

The exhibition in a side chapel

This exhibition has, among other things to see: A family tree showing how the five kings were related to each other. When the War of the Roses was happening, it was called The Cousins' War.


We see copies of original documents including the charter for the chapel, drawn up by the first king, Henry VI. There is a model showing how the fan vault ceiling was constructed. A display explains how the stained glass was created.


In the late 1400s, the fourth King, Henry VII gave £5,000 for the chapel to be completed. It was presented in a strong, oak chest, which is on display here.

10:50 AM

The West Window

Different from all the other huge windows, this one is Victorian. The top sections of the window show Jesus in Heaven, sitting on a throne, surrounded by the saints.


In the lower sections, on the left, angels help good people up into Heaven. On the right, bad people are being poked down into hell by avenging angels with red-hot pokers. One of those (desperately holding on to his crown) is Richard III, the wicked uncle who had his nephews murdered so he could be king. .

11:00 AM

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).


We will see punts on the river and cross the bridge to the grounds on the other side.

11:20 AM

The Bridge over the River Cam and the Chinese Stone

The bridge over the River Cam is an ideal spot for photographs and a place to watch the punts going along the river. From here we can also see The Mathematical Bridge, which is part of Queens' College further along the river.


Crossing over the river, we come to the Chinese Stone. This is a stone made 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. Nearby is a little garden with a path of stones on which are carved lines from the poem in both English and Chinese.

11:30 AM

The Wilkins' Screen and E M Forster's Window

We leave the college grounds by the front exit to see the carved stone wall in front of the entrance. This 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.


Just a little further along, on the outside of a building belonging to King's are the statues of the first and last kings to create the chapel: Henry VI and Henry VIII.


Just above and to the left of Henry VIII was E M Forster's room. So he really did have "A Room with a View".

Ending Point

The front entrance of King's where we started.

Want to personalize this tour?

This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.

Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

A guided tour of King's College chapel and grounds

What‘s not included

Entry to King's College Chapel and grounds costs £17 per person with reductions for children and various discounts if booked online.

Tour Important Information

*This tour is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.


*It does involve walking so comfortable shoes are advised.


*Part of the tour is outside so umbrellas recommended, just in case it rains.

King's College is closed to visitors on Sundays in term time.

Important message from the supplier

I am available at all times, unless I am already booked for another tour. I can sometimes take tours at less than two days notice, if I am available. The maximum number for a group is 15 because that is the number of people in a group who will be admitted into a Cambridge college. However for walking tours around the town, I can take up to 20 people.

Cancellation Policy

  • Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
  • 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
  • No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Cambridge Tour Guide - Angela D.

Joined 2025

Angela D.
Identity Verified
Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide Angela D.

The story of Cambridge starts with a murder and continues with tales of love, death, betrayal and intrigue. There is something to interest everyone of all ages and from all nations. I can customise a tour for you and where the numbers are too many for a one guide (school parties for example) I can share the tour with another esteemed Cambridge GoWithGuide colleague. We have all lived in Cambridge for many years and all love telling the city's stories.

Want to Personalize?

$120/ per group

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