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The court was completed by Thomas Nevile, master of the college, in the early years of the seventeenth century, when he rearranged the existing buildings to form a single court.
Starting in the northeast corner at E staircase, in which Isaac Newton had his rooms, and moving clockwise, one first reaches the Porters' Lodge and Great Gate, begun in 1490 as the entrance to King's Hall and completed in 1535. Originally built on the site of the current sundial in the middle of the court, Nevile moved it 20 metres east when completing the court, and is home to the famous statue of founder Henry VIII whose sceptre was replaced by a chair leg by students in the nineteenth century. Next comes the East Range, and staircases F-K (with J omitted out of tradition) that contain the college bursary and rooms principally housing fellows of the college.
The South Range runs from staircases L-Q with rooms for students and fellows, with Queen's Gate (named after Elizabeth I) as its centrepiece. The West Range is dominated by the Great Hall, the college's dining hall modelled on that of Middle Temple, and the Master's Lodge.
The fourth side begins with staircases A-C, before reaching King's Gate (also called Edward III Gateway), and the entrance to the oldest part of the college, the remaining surviving buildings of King's Hall. King's Gate also houses the famous clock that chimes every 15 minutes and strikes the hour twice.
Many have tried to run the 367 metres around the court in the 43 seconds that it takes to strike 12 o'clock, a feat recreated in the film Chariots of Fire (though filmed in Eton College not Trinity). Known as the Great Court Run, students traditionally attempt to complete the circuit on the day of the Matriculation Dinner. The only people believed to have actually completed the run in time are Lord Burghley in 1927 and Sebastian Coe when he beat Steve Cram in a charity race in 19881988 is a leap year starting on Friday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 2 Georgia celebrates its bicentennial statehood. January 9 Connecticut celebrates its bicentennial statehood. January 26 Australia celebrates its bicentennial day..
The final part of the court is completed by the chapel, begun by Mary IMary I ( 18 February 1516 17 November 1558) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 de jure or 19 July 1553 de facto until her death. Mary, the fourth and penultimate monarch of the Tudor dynasty, is remembered for her attempt to return in 1554Events February 12 After claiming the throne of England the previous year, Lady Jane Grey is beheaded for treason alongside her husband. March 17 Princess Elizabeth imprisoned in The Tower April 12 Mary of Guise becomes Regent of Scotland July 23 25 Weddi in memory of her father. The ante-chapel contains statues of many famous Trinity men, including Roubiliac 's sculpture of Newton, and the altarpiece is Benjamin WestBenjamin West ( October 10, 1738- March 11, 1820) was an American painter of historical scenes around and after the time of the Revolution. Born in Springfield, Pennsylvania (now Swarthmore), Benjamin West was an autodidact. From 1746 to 1759, West worked's St Michael and the Devil.
In the centre of the court is an ornate fountain, built during Nevile's time, and traditionally fed by a pipe from Conduit Head in west Cambridge.
The exact dimensions of the four sides of Great Court are:
which enclose an area of approximately 1.8 acres (7300 square metres).
Trinity College, Cambridge -- Great CourtThese are colleges within the University of Cambridge. Christ's College Churchill College Clare College Clare Hall Corpus Christi College Darwin College Downing College Emmanuel College Fitzwilliam College Girton College Gonville and Caius Homerton Colleg