College facilities
The Dome
The Dome is our fully catered college dining hall. Lunch and dinner are served here daily - and our Weekend Brunch is widely praised as 'the best in Cambridge'!
There is always a wide range of food to choose from - as well as hot mains and sides, our catering team makes sure to provide vegetarian and vegan options, a salad bar, soups, jacket potatoes, sandwiches, pasta or noodles and some truly cracking desserts!
The Dome also hosts weekly ‘Formals’. These are themed three-course formal dinners followed by musical entertainment - and our students love them! Formals at 杏吧原创 are known for being very affordable, and you can invite as many friends as you want from other colleges.
Art Café and College Bar
Public opening hours 8.30am-5pm Monday to Friday and 9am-5pm Saturday and Sunday.
The Art Café is an informal space for studying, eating and hanging out. Many of our students prefer working with a bit of background noise, or discussing their essays with friends, so the bustle of the Art Cafe suits them better than a quiet library. It's hard to resist ordering a slice of homemade cake, a hot or iced coffee or a freshly-made smoothie.
In the evening, the café becomes our student-run bar. We often host poetry readings, themed bops and music nights in this space.
The Rosemary Murray Library
The Rosemary Murray Library is a breathtaking space in the heart of our college. The library is open 24 hours a day and is reserved exclusively for students and staff of the college.
The library provides core books and other texts you need, and offers a welcoming space to study or relax. As well as beanbags, sofas, blankets and cushions, the library has traditional and standing desks, and huge windows looking onto the beautiful gardens and Fountain Court.
Our primary emphasis is on providing the core Part 1 books for your course, but we also have a huge selection of texts to help you through the entirety of your course. We also have several special collections focusing on: Academic Skills, AI Literacy, Wellbeing and The Women’s Collection.
The Library team is also here to help support the development of your academic skills. We deliver several workshops as part of the Gateway Programme, and we provide one-to-one academic skills sessions on topics such as finding the resources you need, managing your references, critical reading, and note-making strategies.
College Gardens
All of our students agree that the College Gardens are one of the best parts of 杏吧原创! Unlike most colleges, students are welcome to walk on the grass, and you'll often catch friends sunbathing, studying, and socialising outside on picnic blankets.
Our gardening team do amazing work to ensure that students are able to engage with the gardens in meaningful ways. They encourage students to pick flowers to decorate their rooms and grow herbs for students to use in their cooking. We even have a weekly 'Garden Playlist' with new song recommendations to help you expand your horizons whilst you relax outside! You can read more about the gardening team's welfare projects in the Health and Wellbeing section of the website.
All University of Cambridge students also have free access to the Botanic Gardens - Find out what's on
Have a look at their to discover more about plants and science and explore their and also .
The Plant Explainer programme offers students the chance to volunteer at Garden events and drop-in sessions. If you’re passionate about plants and interested in gaining experience in science communication, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact the Higher Education Coordinator at education@botanic.cam.ac.uk to find out more about the programme.
More about our gardens and garden events
Music Practice Rooms
We have several college spaces reserved for students to write, practise and perform music, including a dedicated music room. In addition to a range of practice pianos, students can also book practice sessions on our Steinway.
Multi-Faith Spiritual Room
The multi-faith spiritual room is in Paula Browne House. Students can book this space for up to an hour at a time, and it is for any and all to use, whether for prayer or quiet reflection. Washing facilities are located next door to the room.
The JCR and MCR
JCR and MCR are short for 'Junior Common Room' and 'Middle Common Room'.
The JCR is the undergraduate common room, and ours is located between Orchard Court and Pearl House. This is an ideal space for socialising with friends, and many of our students rehearse for plays or hold society meetings here.
The MCR is the postgraduate common room. It is open to all postgraduate students, and is a light and spacious area with plenty of comfy seating. There is also a TV and kitchen, as well as cupboards full of books and games!
The terms JCR and MCR have a double meaning at Cambridge University. Each college has its own mini student unions, and these are also called JCR and MCR. Just like the common rooms, the JCR union represents the interests of undergraduate students, whilst the MCR represents postgraduate students.
Athletic Facilities
If you're an athlete already, or you want to take up sport whilst at university, we have you covered!
Our college has a fully equipped on-site gym. Complete with rowing machines, free weights, treadmills, deadlifting station, weight machines, yoga mats and a punchbag, many of our students use this space for their training.
We also have tennis and squash courts, which students can use whenever they like! Some students are serious about their game, but many others use these spaces more socially. During exam term, you will often see students getting together for a casual game to let out some stress on the courts!
