St Botolph's Church
A 14th-century parish church by the old south gate, with a medieval rood screen and a richly painted Victorian chancel.
St Botolph's sits at the corner of Trumpington Street and Silver Street, beside Corpus Christi College. Botolph is a patron saint of travellers, and the church was built next to Cambridge's south gate, the entry for people arriving from the south and west. The gate has long gone; the church remains.
What to look for
- The medieval fabric. Most of the building dates from the 14th century, with a 15th-century tower topped by stone figures of the four evangelists. The four bells in the tower were cast in 1460, and the church site says they are still in use.
- The rood screen. It is described as the only medieval rood screen left in a Cambridge parish church, though its painted panels are from the late 19th century.
- The font. The octagonal font of 1637 has an elaborate wooden cover in the Laudian style.
- The chancel. George Frederick Bodley rebuilt it in 1872 as a lavish Victorian scheme. A restoration backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund finished in 2008.
- The South Chapel. Refurbished as a First World War memorial, it holds a two-light window of St George and St Michael.
- Memorials. Memorial tablets include the architect James Essex and members of the Darwin family.
Practical notes
The church site says it is open for prayer and visitors from about 9am to 4.30pm every day. Services follow the Book of Common Prayer, with Sunday worship at 11am. In February 2020 burglars destroyed an 1870 Kempe window of Botolph and Margaret of Antioch; the parish ran a fundraiser for its repair. Look for the sundial on the south-west buttress.
Nearby
Within a few minutes' walk
