Cambridge University

Cambridge University is the second oldest university in England, and shares with Oxford University an unrivalled reputation for excellence and tradition. Founded in the 13th century by scholars from universities in Oxford and Paris, its distinguished alumni include Sir Isaac Newton, John Milton and Stephen Hawking. The university’s various colleges, many of them architectural masterpieces, are scattered throughout the city. St John’s College was founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII, in 1511 and contains the New Bridge, often referred to as Cambridge’s Bridge of Sighs. Kings College is perhaps the most famous of all the colleges due to its magnificent chapel, built between 1446 and 1515; the choir’s Christmas Eve service of nine lessons and carols is internationally renowned, and constitutes an integral part of the festive season in Britain. Trinity College, founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, who hoped it would produce the future leaders of the reformed Church of England, is the largest college.