Jesus College in Cambridge is home to the oldest chapel in the city, despite not being the oldest of the colleges. The chapel was originally a monastic church founded in 1157 by a convent of nuns, known as St Mary and St Radegund. However, the convent was dissolved in 1496 when the college was founded on the same site by Bishop John Alcock, and the former convent church was adapted for use as the college chapel. This involved various modifications to its structure, including the demolition of various parts of the building, leaving the present chapel as a reduced version of the original church. Despite this, the chapel still stands out as being distinctly different in form from other college chapels, highlighting its former monastic use.
Approaching the chapel from the north west, visitors can see that much of the nave has been replaced by college buildings, reducing it to similar dimensions to the transepts. The central tower is square and somewhat squat, reflecting a late medieval rebuild after the foundation of the college. The inside of the chapel is stark due to the plain white walls, but this is offset by the splashes of colour from the windows and the richly decorated ceiling, which are all beautiful examples of Pre-Raphaelite art by William Morris and his circle. The chapel windows are largely filled with a series of figures from cartoons by Burne Jones, and the effect is rich and satisfying. The choir is partially concealed by rich woodwork, including the chancel screen and the elaborately carved stalls, which retain some notable examples of late medieval carving. The choir itself is a handsome example of Early English architecture with slender lancet windows, which are filled with Hardman glass, the only windows not adorned with Morris and Co designs.
The chapel is one of the more visitor-friendly colleges in Cambridge, as it is possible to wander around freely without attracting crowds of tourists. Despite being a reduced version of the original church, the chapel at Jesus College is still an impressive building that is worth visiting for its rich history and stunning Pre-Raphaelite art.
Posted by Aidan McRae Thomson on 2021-08-08 23:46:58