The Old Schools are part of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, in the centre of

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The Old Schools house the Cambridge University Offices, which form the main administration for the University. The building is

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

.Trinity Lane
, Cambridge City Council. It is two storeys high with

ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...

facing and a parapet above. Within the Old Schools are West Court and Cobble Court. The Old Schools building is located at the end of

Trinity Lane Trinity Lane is a street in the centre of Cambridge, England.Trinity Lane
Cambrid ...

and is surrounded by other historic University and College buildings. To the north is Gonville and Caius College. To the east is the University of Cambridge

Senate House Senate House may refer to: * The building housing a legislative senate ** List of legislative buildings **Senate House State Historic Site, in Kingston, New York, where the state's first Constitution was ratified in 1777. * The building (formerly) h ...

where degree ceremonies are held, on

King's Parade King's Parade is a street in central Cambridge, England.King's College Chapel King's College Chapel is the chapel of King's College in the University of Cambridge. It is considered one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world's largest fan vault. The Chapel was bui ...

. To the west are Trinity Hall and

Clare College Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...

. The Old Schools Site covers the Old Schools, the Senate House, and

Great St Mary's St Mary the Great is a Church of England parish and university church at the north end of King's Parade in central Cambridge, England. It is known locally as Great St Mary's or simply GSM to distinguish it from "Church of St Mary the Less, Cambri ...

, the University Church.

History

The original building was begun in 1441–4. It formed the Old Court of King's College, but was bought by University and partly demolished in 1829. The west range was completed in 1864–7 by Sir

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started ...

and in 1889–90 by

John Loughborough Pearson John Loughborough Pearson (5 July 1817 – 11 December 1897) was a British Gothic Revival architect renowned for his work on churches and cathedrals. Pearson revived and practised largely the art of vaulting, and acquired in it a proficiency ...

. The Old Schools formerly housed the Cambridge University Library, which has now relocated to the west of the Cambridge city centre, north off West Road Path. The north wing designed by

Charles Robert Cockerell Charles Robert Cockerell (27 April 1788 – 17 September 1863) was an English architect, archaeologist, and writer. He studied architecture under Robert Smirke. He went on an extended Grand Tour lasting seven years, mainly spent in Greece. H ...

and built 1836-7 in a grand classical style was originally part of a scheme to rebuild the entire building.pages 183 to 196, chapter XI 'The Path to Greatness: Cambridge University Library' in David Watkins: ''The Life and Work of C. R. Cockerell'', 1974, Zwemmer

References

{{Commons category, Old Schools, Cambridge, position=left Buildings and structures of the University of Cambridge George Gilbert Scott buildings History of Cambridge University of Cambridge sites