THE OLD SCHOOLS AND SENATE HOUSE

The Old Schools site is a key part of the University, found right in the city centre. The Old Schools building is the administration hub of the University, and houses some of the University’s central teams and the University Offices. The court faces onto Great St Mary’s Church and just beyond that is Cambridge’s Market Square, which is filled with stalls selling a variety of goods and lots of different, exciting lunch options.

The most important building here for students is Senate House, where students graduate upon completing their degrees. Every summer, large marquees are set up on the grass outside ready for the celebrations.

As well as being used for Academic Senate meetings and graduations, in 1958 Senate House was victim of a prank that has gone down in history, even by Cambridge’s standards. Twelve Engineering students, mostly from Gonville and Caius College, found a derelict Austin Seven van in the local area, towed it into the city centre and winched it onto the roof in the night using cables stolen from King’s College. Upon waking the next day, students, staff and Cambridge locals were astonished to see the van perched on the Senate House roof, and it took them five days to retrieve it!