Queens' College, The Buildings Surrounding Front Court, Cloister Court, Pump Court And Walnut Tree Court

Queens' College contains a remarkable sequence of court buildings spanning from the 15th century to the 20th century. The college was founded in the 15th century, and the principal ranges surrounding its courts represent one of the finest collections of late medieval, Renaissance and Georgian architecture in Cambridge.

Front Court

The East Range with Gatehouse was constructed in 1448 under the mason Reginald Ely. Built in red brick with stone dressings, the Gatehouse comprises three stages with octagonal corner turrets and a four-centred moulded arch. The Gatehall retains its fine original ribbed stone vault, while the Muniment Room above contains a quadripartite brick vault. The remainder of the range has two storeys with attics and reproduction eaves-cornices, though most windows have been renewed. A three-storey turret with embattled parapet marks the south-east angle. The interior contains original doorways, modern staircases and some 18th-century panelling.

The North Range dates to 1448 and is divided into two sections: on the east, the Chapel extends to full height, while on the west the Library occupies two storeys with attics. The Chapel was refitted by James Essex in 1773–75, but his ceiling was removed in 1845 and the space was refitted again by G F Bodley in 1858–61, after which it became part of the Library. The Chapel windows are restorations, though the sundial dates to approximately the mid-17th century. A lantern was added by H T Hare in 1910. The interior features a mid-19th-century ceiling, and the Antichapel retains panelling of 1775. Original chapel fittings were removed to the new Chapel in 1890, except for some 19th-century glass. The rest of the range includes original windows and 17th-century examples, together with 18th-century dormers. An annexe of 1804 contains the Library staircase. The Library woodwork dates to 1612–13, and some 15th-century glass survives in the north windows. The Combination Room preserves 17th-century fittings, a fireplace, doors, and bolection-moulded panelling of 1686, along with early 19th-century heraldic glass. The President's Study features linenfold panelling of 1531–32, originally from the Hall but now considerably restored, with a deep frieze carved with coats of arms.

The West Range contains the Hall, Kitchen and Butteries, built in 1449. The Hall comprises five bays and was restored in 1854 with new features by Thomas Johnson; it also retains wooden cornices and bargeboards of the 18th century. The interior was extensively altered in 1732–34 by James Burrough, who added a ceiling and new panelling. The roof was restored in 1845–46 by Dawkes. G F Bodley designed the decorative scheme in 1875. The original fireplace was restored in 1861 with tiles by William Morris and Ford Madox Brown; the roof colouring is said to follow the original pattern. Windows feature heraldic glass by Hardman dating to 1854. The remainder of the range comprises two storeys with attics and mostly 18th-century replacement windows, together with some 18th-century fielded panelling. A south-west corner turret was occupied by Erasmus in 1514.

The South Range dates to 1448–49 and retains some original windows and 18th-century attic dormers. The interior preserves original features including beams, timber partition walls and a stone fireplace with four-centred lead, as well as 17th-century panelling and extensive 18th-century fielded panelling and panelled doors.

Cloister Court

The North Range features the President's Gallery. The ground floor contains a late 15th-century arcaded walk of seventeen openings with four-centred brick arches; the oak posts supporting the bays of the gallery above date to 1911. The paving is dated 1695. The timber-framed President's Gallery appears to be of the early Elizabethan period and was restored in 1911. Its south front displays a central semi-octagonal bay with three-sided bays at each end, moulded bressumer, a second-floor string course and eaves cornice. Windows are of two and four transomed lights with leaded lattices. A projecting brick bay at the west end of the north side contains a staircase added in 1791–93. The north-east wing is generally similar to the main range and of the same date. The gallery interior is entirely panelled with late 16th or early 17th-century oak panelling, divided into bays by enriched Doric pilasters. The original fireplace has a four-centred head. The heraldic glass is partly 16th century and partly early 19th century. The plaster ceiling was added by H T Hare. The Essex Room in the north-east wing also retains late 16th-century panelling and a fireplace, along with two staircases—one of the mid-17th century and one of the late 18th century. The upper floor contains much reset panelling from various periods and an original stone fireplace.

The West Range houses the President's Lodge, dating to the mid-15th century. It comprises two storeys with attics; the ground floor features a fourteen-bay arcade (see North Range). The first floor contains seven 15th-century two-light windows. The river front displays numerous blocked original features and others from the 17th and 18th centuries. The interior at the south end contains a very fine late 17th-century staircase. The President's Dining Room features early 17th-century oak panelling divided by reeded and fluted Ionic pilasters, with an original stone fireplace flanked by Roman Doric fluted pilasters; the oriel window contains early 18th-century heraldic glass. The President's Drawing Room has late 16th-century oak panelling with fluted Doric pilasters. The remainder of the lodge contains features of interest from the same periods.

The South Walk is contemporary with the North Cloister and built in the same manner (see North Range), but it stands free with a lead roof and its arcade contains only eleven openings.

Pump Court

This comprises the Essex Building, an L-shaped range built between 1736 and 1760 by James Essex. It is constructed in white brick with Ketton and Portland stone dressings. The river front displays a high stone plinth; the whole is enriched with a plat band and first-floor cornice with balustraded parapet. Windows are sashes with glazing bars in moulded stone architraves; ground-floor windows facing Silver Street retain original wrought-iron grilles. The interior contains an original staircase, fielded panelling in the main rooms and six-panel doors.

Walnut Tree Court

The East Range dates to 1617–19. It was heightened circa 1780, reroofed and embattled in 1823. The building is constructed in brick with stone dressings and comprises three storeys. Both elevations are symmetrical; the openings are original but have been restored. The interior has been much altered, though it retains several original stone fireplaces. The north main room contains an original decorative wall painting employing false perspective.

The Chapel was designed by Bodley and Garner and completed in 1890. Built in red brick with stone dressings and detailed Gothic ornamentation, it comprises five bays and contains a tall, narrow interior with a vaulted ceiling. Monuments from the old Chapel are of interest and include three brasses of the 15th and 16th centuries. The glass includes work by Hardman dating to 1860 and 1879, and by Kempe dating to 1890 and 1892–1902.