The Campaign for Old Court

Quintessential Cambridge

Clare is the oldest surviving foundation to have been placed within the medieval city walls, and the buildings of Old Court are among the most iconic in Cambridge. It is the thriving intellectual and social centre of Clare where all members of the College come together to study, meet, worship, perform, dine and forge friendships that last a lifetime.

Since its completion in 1715, Old Court has nurtured successive generations through ages of industrial progress, social reform, world war, and technological transformation. The designers are unknown, but their inspirational pairing of golden sandstone and Collyweston slate gives a unity of vision at the heart of the Cambridge Backs.

However, the College has now reached an inevitable moment in its history. Old Court is in need of fundamental conservation, restoration and renewal. The work required is complex and expensive. It is on a scale required only once in a century.

Working in harmony with the existing architecture, the restoration has achieved modern levels of energy efficiency and improved disabled access. In addition, the project will equip the College to provide spaces fit for today and generations to come. Clare has created a new and better space for the College community to eat and to learn together, with a beautiful café , directly overlooking the river.

Old Court is not just a Grade I listed building: it is subject to the highest level of Historic England’s architectural scrutiny, considered by the same committees as the nation’s royal palaces. Unlike many national treasures, Old Court receives no state funding. Nevertheless, the conservation work had to be completed to the most exacting standards, and we are required to use the most authentic materials and the most skilled craftsmanship.

The North Passage between Old Court and Trinity Hall housed a warren of inefficient and underutilised spaces. This has been transformed into a brand new River Room café, providing additional dining and social space seating 76, which is open throughout the day. Combined with improvements to the existing buttery, casual dining has been dramatically improved at the College. This will help ensure that the College remains a desirable base for students at the centre of Cambridge. The reorganisation of this space also includes a new lift servicing three levels of the North Range of Old Court. This lift, combined with a hidden stair lift at H entry, means Clare’s most public spaces, especially the Hall, are fully accessible for the first time in the history of Old Court.