Clare College, Cambridge

Clare College
Clare College
University of Cambridge
	Old Court, Clare College
	Arms of Clare College: Arms of de Clare (Or, three chevrons gules) impaling de Burgh (Or, a cross gules) all within a bordure sable guttée d'or. Elizabeth de Clare's first husband was John de Burgh (1286–1313). Usually, the arms of the husband appear in the dexter half, the position of greater honour, here occupied by the arms of de Clare. This shield with its bordure of gouttes d'or (golden droplets) appears on the personal seal of Elizabeth de Clare.
Location	Trinity Lane (map)
Coordinates	52°12′19″N 0°06′54″E / 52.2052°N 0.1150°E
Abbreviation	CL
Established	1326; 698 years ago
Named after	Elizabeth de Clare
Previous names	University Hall (1326-1338); Clare Hall (1338-1856)
Sister colleges	St Hugh's College, Oxford; Oriel College, Oxford
Master	Loretta Minghella
Undergraduates	484 (2022-23)
Postgraduates	266 (2022-23)
Endowment	£166.8m (2023)
Visitor	Chancellors of the University ex officio
Website	www.clare.cam.ac.uk
UCS	ucs.clare.cam.ac.uk
MCR	mcr.clare.cam.ac.uk/about-the-mcr
Boat club	www.clareboatclub.org.uk
Map
	Location in Central Cambridge Location in Cambridge

Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge^[4] 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 in 1338 as Clare Hall by an endowment from Elizabeth de Clare, and took on its current name in 1856. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on the Backs (the rear of the colleges that overlook the River Cam). It is a registered charity.^[5]

History

The college was founded in 1326 by the university's chancellor, Richard Badew, and was originally named 'University Hall'. Providing maintenance for only two fellows, it soon hit financial hardship. In 1338, the college was refounded as 'Clare Hall' by an endowment from Elizabeth de Clare, a granddaughter of Edward I, which provided for twenty fellows and ten students.^[6]

The college was known as Clare Hall until 1856, when it changed its name to 'Clare College'.^[7] (A new 'Clare Hall' was founded by Clare College as a postgraduate institution in 1966.)

Women were accepted as undergraduates in 1972, one of the first three previously all-male colleges to do so.^[8]

Buildings

Old Court

Old Court from King's College Bridge

Clare's Old Court, a Grade I listed building, was built between 1638 and 1715,^[7] with a long interruption for the English Civil War. The period spans the arrival of classicism into the mainstream of British architecture, such that its progress can be traced in the marked differences between the oldest wing to the north, which still has vaulting and other features in the unbroken tradition of English Gothic architecture, and the final southern block, which shows a fully articulated classic style.^{[citation needed]}

The college's chapel was built in 1763 and designed by Sir James Burrough, the Master of neighbouring Caius College.^[9] Its altarpiece is Annunciation by Cipriani.^[10]

Old Court frames King's College Chapel in views from the Backs.

Clare College Gate

Clare Bridge

Clare has a bridge over the River Cam and is the oldest of Cambridge's current bridges. It was built of stone in 1640 by Thomas Grumbold and restored in 1969, and is a Grade I listed building.^[11]

Fourteen stone balls decorate it, one of which has a missing section. A number of apocryphal stories circulate concerning this – one cited by members of the college is that the original builder of the bridge was not paid the full amount for his work and so removed the segment to balance the difference in payment. A more likely explanation is that a wedge of stone cemented into the ball as part of a repair job became loose and fell out.^{[citation needed]}

Memorial Court

Clare Bridge connects Old Court to Memorial Court, which was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott and dedicated in 1926. The new court, west of Queen's Road, was conceived as a memorial to the Clare men who lost their lives in the First World War. The monumental arch which forms the entrance to the court accommodates a large bell and carries the names of Clare alumni who died in both world wars. Memorial Court is Grade II* listed,

Memorial Court was extended in the 1950s by the construction of Thirkill Court, and was later divided into two parts when the College's Forbes Mellon Library was constructed in the centre of Memorial Court; the new courtyard created in the west was renamed Ashby Court.^[12]

Lerner Court

A new court, Lerner Court, designed by van Heyningen and Haward Architects, was opened in January 2008.^[13] It occupies the last piece of undeveloped land in the central area of the College next to Memorial Court and houses a lecture theatre, catering, fellows offices, residential accommodation and a student laundry.

Castle Court

A detached area of student accommodation, Castle Court, is between Castle Street and Chesterton Lane, on Castle Hill, north of the city centre.^[14]

Gallery

Old Court in Winter
Clare Bridge, over the River Cam
Clare Bridge's missing wedge
Inside the Great Hall
The Scholars' Garden
College chapel
Lerner Court
Memorial Court
Memorial Court viewed from Queen's Road
Clare College boathouse
Clare College chapel

Student life

Clare is known as a liberal and progressive college.^{[citation needed]} In 1972 it became one of the three male Cambridge colleges that led the way in admitting female undergraduates (the other two being Churchill and King's). Clare continues in this tradition and has been praised for the transparency of its admissions process.^[15]

Clare College Bar

Clare is known as a musical college in Cambridge.^{[citation needed]} Its choir has performed all over the world. Clare College Music Society is well known, particularly the orchestra.^{[citation needed]}

Clare Ents

As well as jazz and comedy nights, Clare is known for Clare Ents, a student night held every Friday in term time.^{[citation needed]} The night is popular with students across the university and in the past it has hosted such acts as Tinie Tempah, Bombay Bicycle Club and Chase and Status.^[16]

Clareification

Clare's student newspaper, Clareification, won "Best University College Paper" in The Cambridge Student in 2005.^{[citation needed]} Published by the Union of Clare Students, it comprises satirical articles mocking Cambridge traditions, reports on student antics, and college gossip in the "Clareifornication" column.^{[citation needed]}

On 3 February 2007, the college cut its funding to the paper following the publication of the guest-edited edition of 2 February, retitled Crucification.^{[citation needed]} In addition to the paper's usual satirical attacks on Christianity, this edition also featured several articles which mocked Islam, and a reproduction of the cartoon illustrations of the prophet Mohammed which had provoked international protest when they first appeared in Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in September 2005.^[17]

May Ball

Clare hosts an annual May Ball, during which the college is lavishly decorated.

Clare holds an annual May ball on the Monday of May Week in the middle of June. It is one of the largest May balls in Cambridge and is known for securing popular headliners.^{[citation needed]}

Clare Boat Club

Clare Boat Club is the rowing club for current members of Clare College. There is a separate club, De Burgh Boat Club, for alumni. In 2012, Clare Boat Club had the highest membership relative to the size of its student body of any college-affiliated boat club in Cambridge, fielding six men's VIIIs in the May Bumps competition.^{[citation needed]}

Old Court panorama

Academic performance

The undergraduates of Clare College were 12th in the 2024 Tompkins Table, based on degree results.^[18]

Clare was in the top ten colleges in the Tompkins Table from 2000 to 2005.^[19] However, their performance in the following years (2006–09) was poorer, leaving them in 12th in 2006 and 18th in 2009. Their 2010 performance (8th position) however showed an increase of 10 places over their previous year's performance, and in 2011 they reached fourth place.^[20] In 2018, Clare placed 16th out of 29 colleges recorded in the table. In 2019, it fell to 24th place. In 2022, it rose to 12th place.

Entrance into Clare College is competitive, with approximately five applicants per place.^{[citation needed]} However, the high quality of applicants means that many of them are awarded places at other colleges through the Winter Pool.^{[citation needed]} Of applicants in 2007, 151 were given offers by Clare, and a further 75 applicants were made offers at other Cambridge colleges.^[21]