Transforming Old Court:

an update

The project to conserve and transform Old Court as the beating heart of the College has entered its final phase. Starting last autumn, scaffolding has gone up on the east and south-east ranges to enable repairs to the roof timbers and guttering, and replacement of damaged roof slates.

A slate reconditioning workshop has been installed in the court, where the old Collyweston slates are meticulously washed for re-use, to be supplemented by new slates from the same historic quarry in Northamptonshire (as stipulated by Historic England). At the same time as these essential roof repairs are carried out, to make Old Court water-tight, the services – wiring and plumbing – are being replaced and upgraded, to ensure that these historic spaces are fit for habitation for generations to come.

From summer 2024 to autumn 2025, it will be the turn of the south-west and west ranges to receive the same attention. The schedule should ensure that the entire Old Court project is completed, all scaffolding removed and the lawns reinstated, in time for the College’s 700th anniversary in 2026.

In the meantime, the splendid new additions to the north range of Old Court, completed last summer, have won the award for ‘Best Conservation, Alteration or Extension (over £2m construction costs)’ in this year’s Greater Cambridge Design and Construction Awards. The judges were fulsome in their praise:

“This project has been many years in the development and is part of Clare’s wider plans to restore Old Court as the heart of the College and provide places for the college community to mix. The result is, remarkably, both understated and spectacular. The discovery and use of previously unacknowledged spaces is both ingenious and admirable, creating a new riverside café and providing level access to many parts of the college that were previously inaccessible.

This whole project is in fact a remarkable achievement, since the space – a long exterior ‘edge’ of the college – had to be both created and curated, with immense architectural and practical complications including creating a temporary bridge over the Cam, excavation of the Master’s garden and the complete overhaul of what had been a messy service dumping ground.

The result is stunning, elegant and beautiful, with every finish perfect. We loved the beautiful new Purbeck stone floor and the craftsmanship of the new oak glulam structure (and the story of the small family business who made and fitted it) and admired the precision and intricacy of its design. Not only does it provide elegant corridor access to the River Room café, it also provides a beautiful new escape staircase for the attic floors and attractive access spaces on three levels.

From the Cam the café is appropriately modest, with a wooden pergola nestled against a restored brick facade. The project is access friendly throughout, with a clever platform lift in Old Court dealing with one of the biggest access challenges. The primary structure has in effect led the architecture, and the care and attention to detail in both aspects is complementary. The engineering outcome is, simply, a marvel.”

Clare students, staff, Fellows and alumni agree!

The total cost of the Old Court project is £42 million, of which the College is contributing £17 million, leaving the remainder to be raised from donations. This is in the finest tradition of Old Court, the construction of which, from 1638 to 1715, was funded entirely by alumni.

To date, the Campaign for Old Court has raised £22.5 million towards its £25 million target, with a further £1.6 million pledged. With support from alumni and well-wishers, the College hopes to complete the fundraising campaign in the next 12 months.