Sidney Sussex College
Sidney Sussex College
Sidney Sussex College
4
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Located in central Cambridge and sheltered behind high stone walls, this picturesque college features a chapel with oak paneling that is the final resting place of Oliver Cromwell's head.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Sidney Sussex College and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
614 within 5 kms
Attractions
192 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
69 reviews
Excellent
30
Very good
21
Average
10
Poor
3
Terrible
5
macedonboy
Glasgow, UK186,766 contributions
Oct 2021
Founded in 1596, Sidney Sussex College is one of the smaller colleges of Cambridge, but traditionally excelled in subjects such as Mathematics and Engineering. The quadrangles of Hall and Chapel Courts are very nice as is the chapel. Unlike many of the colleges, this is one of the smaller colleges and not packed with tourists
Written 26 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Seehanes
United Kingdom178 contributions
Oct 2019
We briefly visited Sidney Sussex College in central Cambridge because we happened to be walking past and were curious to see where Oliver Cromwell's head was buried in 1960. Founded in 1596, in accordance with the will of Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex (after whom the college is named), this is one of Cambridge's smaller colleges. In the very early years of the college's life (in 1616) it attracted its most famous student, teenager Oliver Cromwell, who was presumably sent here because of the college's strong Puritan ethos. However, Cromwell was forced to leave after one year, without a degree, as he was needed at home following the death of his father Robert. Oliver Cromwell himself, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, died in 1658 and was buried in an elaborate ceremony at Westminster Abbey. However, two years later, when the monarchy was restored, Oliver Cromwell's body was exhumed, hanged at Tyburn, and thrown in a pit, but only after his head was cut off and displayed on a spike at Westminster Hall - where it remained for over twenty years. Thereafter his head changed hands several times before being purchased in 1814/5 by Josiah Henry Wilkinson, whose descendant donated it to Sidney Sussex College where it was buried (in the chapel) on 25th March 1960 - after which Cromwell's ghost is said to have been seen several times within the college grounds. A plaque marks the approximate site of the burial in the chapel that, in the early 20th century, was rebuilt, enlarged, and embellished with an elaborate interior that very much contradicts its Puritan origins. It is not clear if visitors are welcome because we entered unimpeded - the entrance was unattended. The lawned courtyards and college buildings are attractive, but no more so than the many other Cambridge colleges that have arguably more to offer visitors.
Written 4 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TUFC
Dunblane, Scotland176 contributions
July 2018 • Couples
Stayed here for a couple of nights . While accommodation was basic and the showers and toilets were down the corridor it was very central and same price as a travel lodge which would have been further out . Rooms were spacious and had nice toiletries , tea and coffee making and a fridge . It also included breakfast which was self service refectory style in a mini hog warts type room with large portraits and top table . You could leave you luggage in post room before you could check in and after .you checked out
Best part were the gardens which you could sit out in with a coffee and just relax at the end of a long day sightseeing
Best part were the gardens which you could sit out in with a coffee and just relax at the end of a long day sightseeing
Written 5 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tennis player
50 contributions
Aug 2018 • Friends
The first room we were given was awful.There was wallpaper and plaster coming of the wall by my bed so I would not stay there.I spoke to the man at the reception who was very rude and said the accommodation was only for students.We paid 75 pounds for two people.Given another room abit better but The wardrobe full of cobwebs at bottom and plug to sink filthy.
Breakfast okay but they could not give me toast with the scrambled egg.
Gardens beautiful.
Breakfast okay but they could not give me toast with the scrambled egg.
Gardens beautiful.
Written 10 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grace L
Cambridge, UK1 contribution
Mar 2015 • Friends
Seriously, go to any other college in Cambridge. The head of catering at sidney is aggressive and unkind and seems to delight in ruining the meal times of others.
Written 9 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
34Doris
Oxford, UK133 contributions
Dec 2017 • Solo
Famously the least attractive of the older Oxbridge colleges - only Balliol (Oxford) or St Catz here, are as unattractive - but this one is the ugliest. The first court is a real stinker - it looks like one of those abandoned hospitals, on a ring road, used in an episode of "Endeavour". But the gardens are delightful - truly beautiful.
Famous old boys include King Charles I AND Cromwell - they had regular fist fights, and mock be-headings.
Also Rufus "Sniffy" Rotherbeard (inventor of the hot water bottle); Clamidia Cannesta (voted the worst ever Italian writer); SIr David "Duffy" Dreadnought (hugely unsuccessful W.W.2 Admiral, who drowned in his bath); Bamber Gascoigne (Midfield Maestro) and Greg Wallace (cannonball-headed Master-chef).
Famous old boys include King Charles I AND Cromwell - they had regular fist fights, and mock be-headings.
Also Rufus "Sniffy" Rotherbeard (inventor of the hot water bottle); Clamidia Cannesta (voted the worst ever Italian writer); SIr David "Duffy" Dreadnought (hugely unsuccessful W.W.2 Admiral, who drowned in his bath); Bamber Gascoigne (Midfield Maestro) and Greg Wallace (cannonball-headed Master-chef).
Written 11 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tewsgolfer
31 contributions
July 2016 • Couples
The price is right. But realize that you are staying in a dorm room.
Wifi was practically non-existent. Almost never connected for more than a couple minutes.
Breakfast was nice. Rooms were pretty clean.
Wifi was practically non-existent. Almost never connected for more than a couple minutes.
Breakfast was nice. Rooms were pretty clean.
Written 13 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
XYZ n
Washington DC, DC40 contributions
July 2015 • Business
Pros:
* In the heart of Cambridge. Walking distance to all Colleges
* Superb buildings
* Breakfast is varied and abundant
* Dining room is beautiful. Paintings of old College masters and Oliver Cromwell.
* Staff is austere but friendly
* Room have fridge
Cons:
* none
* In the heart of Cambridge. Walking distance to all Colleges
* Superb buildings
* Breakfast is varied and abundant
* Dining room is beautiful. Paintings of old College masters and Oliver Cromwell.
* Staff is austere but friendly
* Room have fridge
Cons:
* none
Written 13 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chrissie470
Wolverhampton18 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
great location and lovely gardens. As others have said, rooms facing roads (format and side) are very, very noisy. Mattresses are fairly poor quality so so with that and the noise, not a great place to sleep. breakfasts fairly utilitarian- this is a college hall where you have to queue. staff helpful though
Written 6 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
4Travellers_7
Denver, CO51 contributions
July 2013 • Friends
First of all I want to say that the rooms themselves were good, the showers were good as well. They have a nice shower kit waiting for you which was nice. There were laundry facilities which was very handy. The down side is that it was hot during our visit, in fact there were no fans to be bought in all of Cambridge that week - I tried. What this meant was that we had to keep our windows open all night and there are two bars on the street behind the college, which made it very noisy as you can image. Even ear plugs couldn't keep out the noise. And garbage trucks start rumbling up the road at 6:00. We got virtually no sleep during our three nights there so while the porters are great and the architecture is lovely and it is enchanting to stay in a historic college building, we would not consider Sidney Sussex again.
Written 20 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing