Pembroke College, Cambridge
This survey of Pembroke College, Cambridge features beautiful photography of its buildings and gardens, including architecture by Christopher Wren and the recently developed Mill Lane site.
With chapters written by 16 notable alumni, including Eric Idle and Stephen Halliday, it tells the story of Pembroke College, which was founded in 1347. The buildings and gardens developed organically over subsequent centuries, including the Chapel built by Christopher Wren (his first building) and a grand nineteenth-century Library built by Alfred Waterhouse. The beautiful gardens are among the finest in Cambridge. The College has recently completed its new Mill Lane development, enlarging the footprint of the College by one-third and creating a dynamic new city quarter with publicly accessible courtyards and gardens. This magnificently illustrated vision of Pembroke, published to commemorate the expansion of its College campus, features chapters by a range of writers, offering individual insights into College life. The result is a vivid portrait of an enduring College, ever changing and developing, celebrating its past and facing the future with confidence.
This magnificently illustrated publication also turns its attention to the historic site of Pembroke, and walks the reader through the growth of the College across the centuries: from the fourteenth century, through the building of the Chapel by the young Christopher Wren, through the dramatic changes wrought by Waterhouse and up to the present day. It explores some of the historic buildings, rooms, paths, gardens and works of art. Alumni of Pembroke College such as Ray Dolby, John Sulston and Tim Brooke-Taylor are also remembered in this engaging book.
Chris Smith has been the Master of Pembroke since 2015. He is a former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Chairman of the Environment Agency.