Why did one single college break the golden rule of medieval architecture?

If King’s represents royal power and Trinity represents unimaginable wealth, St Catharine’s College represents survival, tactical adaptation, and legal endurance. Founded in 1473 by Robert Woodlark (the Provost of neighboring King’s College), it is one of the most centrally located colleges in the city. As you walk down Trumpington Street, you’ll notice it breaks a major rule of medieval campus design: instead of hiding behind a heavy, fortified stone gatehouse to keep the townspeople out, its red-brick courtyard opens up entirely to the public street.

While it stands today as a classic part of the historic core, the open layout actually reveals a brutal 17th-century real estate war. Originally, Catz was built as a traditional, closed four-sided square. However, when the college master demolished the front wing to expand, the college ran completely out of money to buy the final plot of land facing the street, forcing them to leave the courtyard permanently open to the public eye. At We Are Cambridge, our student teams walk past these brick paths every single day. Here is your definitive, insider introduction to the deep history, architectural icons, and hidden student culture of St Catharine’s.

The Architecture: An Open Courtyard and Hidden Spiked Wheels

You cannot talk about Catz without talking about how it packs an incredible amount of classical architectural grandeur into one of the tightest physical spaces in the historic core.

• The Symbol of the Wheel: Everywhere you look—on the grand black iron gates, the student blazers, and even stamped onto the dining hall cutlery—you will spot a wheel with sharp spikes. This is the Catherine Wheel, the traditional symbol of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (the college's patron saint), representing the instrument of martyrdom that miraculously shattered at her touch.

• The Modern Cultural Hub: Tucked neatly behind the historic ranges sits Sherlock Court. This modern residential space seamlessly links the deep 17th-century brickwork with light, glass-fronted 20th-century student rooms, proving that the college has never stopped evolving its footprint.

• How to see it: Because Catz has no front wall, you can photograph its stunning main court directly from the public pavement. However, stepping onto the lawns or exploring the old chapel requires passing the porter's lodge. Make sure to check out our step-by-step entry tips on We Are Cambridge to check opening hours before visiting.

The Hidden History: The Sherlock Holmes Connection and Plague Chimes

St Catharine’s quiet brick corridors are packed with narratives of early scientific pioneers, revolutionary legal giants, and profound wartime mysteries.

• The Real Sherlock Holmes: This is the academic home of legendary actors like Ian Charleson and Sir Peter Hall, but its most famous connection comes from alumnus Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's inspiration. Local university researchers love pointing out that the analytical, razor-sharp habits of Sherlock Holmes were partly modeled after the eccentric, hyper-observant Cambridge professors Conan Doyle studied under.

• The Plague Watch: Look up at the elegant, minimalist clock tower rising above the brick ranges. During the devastating plague outbreaks of the 1600s, the chimes of the college clock were muted for months at a time, creating an eerie, silent watch over the historic center as scholars locked themselves inside their rooms to escape infection.

• Wartime Reditions: During the world wars, the open courtyard of St Catharine's was used as a central mustering point for university battalions, with soldiers drilling on the cobbles right outside the student rooms before being deployed to the front lines.

The Student Vibe: The Midnight Sprint and River Feuds

What is it actually like to live behind these grand stone arches today? Catz is famous for being one of the friendliest, most down-to-earth colleges in Cambridge, packed with intense athletic pride.

• The Midnight Chill: Because the main court lies completely open to the elements, winter mornings at Catz involve a classic student ritual: undergraduates wrapped in their bright college scarves sprinting across the frosty cobbles to grab hot coffee in the buttery. Social life centers around "Bar McGrath," a vibrant space named after a beloved former college porter.

• The Ultimate River Feud: Catz rowers maintain an intense, decades-old rivalry with their immediate neighbors at Queens' College and St John's. Every year during the annual "Bumps" rowing races, the river banks erupt in chaos as the Catz crews try to physically ram their boats into their rivals to climb the university leaderboards.

How can you get the ultimate view of Cambridge’s Historic Core?

Because St Catharine’s sits perfectly positioned right in the absolute center of the medieval town layout, its paths connect seamlessly with the oldest lanes, leading you on a historic trail straight down toward the water's edge.

If you want to view the majestic university architecture from the river level after exploring the open courtyard and Sherlock Holmes secrets of Catz, slide onto the water with us. Our standard Cambridge punting tours cruise right down the center of the River Cam, giving you a completely uninterrupted photo angle of the historic college backs. For groups or couples wanting an unhurried, personalized experience to capture the perfect lighting, booking a private punting tour lets you set your own relaxed pace on the water.

Prefer to explore the open gate, the spiked wheels, and the clock tower on foot? Let our passionate student guides show you the hidden doorways and share the real university gossip on a classic Cambridge walking tour. Or, if you want a deeply academic dive into the medieval foundations, plague histories, and historic rivalries of the university, join our exclusive Cambridge Scholar-Led Walking tours.

Our entire team of university researchers is excited to help you capture the perfect memories of your journey with We Are Cambridge.

Written by a Cambridge guide at We Are Oxbridge.

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