A welcoming College in the heart of the city centre
St Catharine's College offers graceful architecture, excellent public spaces and stunning courtyard gardens. Take time to enjoy College life and connect with fellow learners.
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Room options
St Catharine's offers:
- single en suite bedrooms
- single shared bathroom bedrooms
A number of rooms have recently been refurbished to a more modern style. Some rooms are accessible by lift. There are no en suite rooms on the ground floor.
The College operates a 10pm curfew.
Facilities
- Wi-Fi
- bed linen and towels
- tea/coffee in bedrooms
- laundry room
- gyp rooms (kitchens) and fridge access (no cooking permitted)
- chapel
Dining
St Catharine’s provides buffet-style dinners (on most evenings) in the Senior Combination Room (SCR) or main dining hall.
On Fridays, the College provides a served formal dinner in the SCR.
Breakfast is self-service in the main dining hall.
Dinner is not available in St Catharine's on Saturday evenings. Fees for Saturday night/Sunday morning cover bed and breakfast only.
College history
The history of the College is reflected in the names used for its intriguing mix of old and new buildings. St Catharine’s College was founded in 1473 by Robert Woodlark, former Chancellor of the University. Dr John Gostlin bequeathed the Bull Inn to the College. The building of the main courtyard began in 1674, and the Chapel was completed in 1704. Mary Ramsden left money to the College in 1745 for new staircases.
In 2013 the McGrath Centre was built which includes a lecture theatre, bar and Junior Common Room. The latest phase of renovation works was completed in August 2022 and has revitalised the facilities at the heart of the College’s Island site on Trumpington Street. The centrepiece is undoubtedly the new dining hall, kitchens and surrounding areas, which have been completely renovated to an extraordinary standard.