CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY |
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Beginnings of the University
In 1209, students escaping from violence in Oxford fled to Cambridge and
formed a University here. The first college, Peterhouse, was founded in
1284. One of the most impressive buildings in Cambridge, King's College
Chapel, was begun in 1446 by King Henry IV. The project was completed in
1515 during the reign of King Henry VIII.
Cambridge University Press originated with a printing licence issued in
1534. Hobson's Conduit, the first project to bring clean drinking water to
the town centre, was built in 1610. Parts of it survive today. Addenbrooke's
Hospital was founded in 1719. The railway and station were built in 1845.
According to legend, the University dictated their location: well away from
the centre of town, so that the possibility of quick access to London would
not distract students from their work. |
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| Despite having a University, Cambridge was not granted its city charter
until 1951. Cambridge does not have a cathedral, which was traditionally a
pre-requisite for city status. |
