Tucked along Bridge Street stands a building that predates Cambridge University itself. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known universally as the Round Church, has occupied this site for nearly nine centuries as one of only four surviving medieval round churches in England.
A Crusader-Era Foundation
The church was constructed around 1130 on land granted by Abbot Reinald of Ramsey, who held office between 1114 and 1130. It was founded by the Fraternity of the Holy Sepulchre, likely a group of Austin canons, and dedicated to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The site occupied a strategic position on the Via Devana, the Roman road that became Bridge Street, serving as a wayfarers' chapel for travellers entering Cambridge.
The Round Church predates the university by approximately 75 years. When the first scholars began gathering in Cambridge in the early 13th century, the church had already witnessed nearly a century of worship.
The Architecture of Pilgrimage
The church was modelled directly on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, consecrated in 335 AD. This deliberate architectural choice reflected the profound impact of the Crusades on English religious imagination. The building features a circular nave surrounded by an ambulatory, supported by eight massive Norman columns with round arches. Each capital bears a unique carved design. The Norman west doorway displays three orders of colonnettes with scalloped capitals and distinctive zigzag decoration.
Later modifications added to its character. In the 15th century, Gothic windows replaced the original Norman openings, a polygonal bell-storey was added, and carved wooden angels were fixed to the ceiling corbels. Some of these angels hold musical instruments. The ambulatory vault features dog-tooth ornamentation, whilst a conical spire rises above the nave.
Surviving Centuries of Change
The church has endured periods of destruction and restoration. On 3 January 1644, during the Civil War, William Dowsing recorded in his journal: "We break down 14 superstitious Pictures, divers Idolatrous Inscriptions, one of God the Father, one of Christ and of the Apostles." The carved angels somehow escaped his iconoclasm.
August 1841 brought disaster when part of the ambulatory collapsed, followed by the collapse of the 15th-century tower under its own weight. Architect Anthony Salvin led restoration efforts between 1841 and 1843, overseen by the Cambridge Camden Society. The church reopened in October 1843 following a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, during which the Queen donated £25.
The restoration sparked controversy. A stone altar installed during the works became the subject of ecclesiastical dispute, culminating in a Court of Arches ruling on 31 January 1845 ordering its removal and replacement with a wooden table. On 28 July 1942, an incendiary bomb destroyed the east window during the Second World War; it was replaced in 1946 with a depiction of Christ in Majesty.
The Knights Templar Myth
Popular legend frequently associates the Round Church with the Knights Templar. The church's own historical documentation explicitly refutes this connection: "Although the Knights Templar are often associated with churches of this nature, there is no evidence of any link with the Round Church in Cambridge, which seems to have been founded before the Templars became active in England." The Temple Church in London, consecrated in 1185, was indeed built by the Templars. Cambridge's round church predates it and was founded by a different religious fraternity.
From Parish Church to Heritage Centre
The Round Church served as a parish church until 1994, when the congregation relocated to St Andrew the Great. In 2001, Christian Heritage, a project of The Foundations Trust, assumed management of the building. Designated a Grade I listed building on 26 April 1950, it now operates as a visitor centre and exhibition space.
The current exhibition, "The Cambridge Story: The Impact of Christianity in England," includes a 23-minute film entitled "Saints and Scholars" narrated by David Suchet. Guided walks depart Wednesday through Saturday at 2:15pm. The building also serves as a study centre and concert venue.
Visiting Information
The Round Church is located at Bridge Street, Cambridge CB2 1UB. Opening times are Monday 1:30pm to 5pm, Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. It is closed on Tuesdays and Sundays. Admission is £3.50 for standard visitors, £1.00 for teenagers and students, and free for Cambridge residents with CB1 to CB5 postcodes and for students.