To spot St Catharine’s College, look for a striking open courtyard framed by stately brick buildings with tall windows and rows of chimneys, facing directly onto Trumpington Street-just across from Corpus Christi College and near King’s College.
Alright, take a breath and look around-imagine the gentle breeze coming across this open courtyard, sunlight bouncing off those classic Cambridge bricks, and the distant sound of bicycle bells. Welcome to St Catharine’s College-or “Catz” if you want to sound like a local. Funny story: the college actually adopted its current name only in 1860, even though it’s been here since way back in 1473, when it started off as “Katharine Hall.” Not bad for a place that began as a humble dream-brought to life by Robert Woodlark, who, let’s just say, probably wouldn’t win any awards for financial planning. Woodlark poured most of his own fortune into these tenements right beneath your feet, and rumor has it he was even suspected of skimming a little from King’s College next door. Imagine the tension-founding a new college, running out of money, and your neighbors eyeing you suspiciously!
In the early days, Catz was a tiny, exclusive club-a handful of fellows who could only study theology and philosophy, and for years, no undergrads were allowed. The place was so empty you probably would have heard your own footsteps echoing across the stone slabs. But everything changed by the 1500s. Suddenly, ambitious young minds began flooding in, and the focus of the college turned to teaching undergraduates. It was like Catz had been playing hide-and-seek with students and finally decided to stop hiding.
Now, you might wonder about that open courtyard you’re standing in. Unlike most Cambridge colleges, which love their closed quadrangles, Catz keeps its court open to Trumpington Street, as if it’s waving at everyone passing by-“Hello, look at me!”-and don’t you just love that touch of confidence? This wasn’t always the plan. Throughout the centuries, the college has toyed with the idea of completing a fourth side, but somehow, three sides and this open embrace just stuck.
In the 1600s, the college started to expand thanks to canny leadership and generous benefactors. New buildings popped up, some of which wore out and were torn down again. By 1637, Catz owned the George Inn on Trumpington Street-behind it, a legendary stable managed by Thomas Hobson. Now, if you’ve ever faced a “take it or leave it” situation, thank Mr. Hobson-his practice of only allowing a customer to hire the horse that had been in the stable longest gave rise to the phrase “Hobson’s choice.” That’s proper Cambridge for you; even the clichés have academic roots!
The 19th and 20th centuries saw drama, too. In 1861, when the Master stepped down, there was an election-just two fellows stood, but one voted for himself and the other voted for his rival, making the whole thing so awkward that people still talk about the “Robinson vote.” Politics, Cambridge-style!
The college grew richer, bigger, and more diverse through the modern era. In the 1970s, it expanded so much that it ended up in a kind of friendly rivalry with Robinson College-Catz liked to build octagonal rooms to match its crest; now that’s commitment to branding! By 1979, the gates finally opened to women students, and in 2006, Dame Jean Thomas became the first woman Master here. Talk about breaking the mold.
Catz prides itself on innovation-not just in academics, where it’s landed as high as top place in the Tompkins Table, but even in small things like adopting a gender-neutral dress code for formal dinners (the first college in Cambridge to do so). When the world was locking down in 2020, Catz opened its doors to women and children escaping domestic violence, turning college rooms into safe havens for those in danger.
And it hasn’t lost its sense of fun-recently, it raised a temporary building and called it the “Catzebo,” combining “Catz” and “gazebo”-proof that even after centuries of serious scholarship, Cambridge can still have a good laugh.
So as you stand here, listen to the echoes of history and the hum of student life. Perhaps one day, your own story will join the tapestry of legends here at “Catz”-where tradition never stands still! Ready for the next stop on our adventure?
Yearning to grasp further insights on the academics, student life or the notable alumni? Dive into the chat section below and ask away.
