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Route Plan - Porters' Lodge to Theatre Complex

Peterhouse, First Court, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1RD

Access Guide

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Getting To and Around Peterhouse

  • Arriving By Car or Bike View
    • Peterhouse is located on Trumpington Street in Cambridge city centre. There are various Park and Ride schemes for people who would prefer to not drive into central Cambridge.
    • At the time of the survey (August 2021) there was very little parking available at the site due to building work. Normally, some parking is available to staff and some visitors with specific requirements who request in advance. There is no general parking for visitors, and students are generally not permitted to use cars in the immediate locality unless given permission based on specific requirements.
    • Cycling is a popular form of transport in Cambridge. The city is relatively flat and there is an extensive network of cycle routes. There are bike stands available throughout the site.
    • For more information on getting to Peterhouse by road please click here (opens new tab).
    • For more information on cycle routes and maps in Cambridge please click here (opens new tab).
  • By Bus View
  • By Train View
  • Accessing the College Site View
    • Visitors to Peterhouse enter via the Porters' Lodge on Trumpington Street. Access into the Porters' Lodge is via a single heavy door 82cm wide and a step which has been worn down to 3cm high in the centre (Photographs 1 and 2). There is also a pedestrian gate to the right of the Porters' Lodge as you face it, 85cm wide (Photograph 3). The step here has been worn down so much it is now a slight slope with a threshold (Photograph 4).
    • Pedestrians can also access the site via the Granta Gate at the rear of the site (Photograph 5), although this is mainly a vehicle entrance for deliveries and contractors, with no footpath for pedestrians. The road goes underneath the Whittle Building and up a long, steep slope (Photograph 6). At the top, pedestrians take the path up to Gisborne Court (Photograph 7). The path is 94cm wide and has a slight slope. There is also a vehicle entrance to the site off Little St Mary’s Lane to the side of the site, via 2 gates (Photograph 8). However, this only gives access to the Blue Badge bay outside the Theatre on performance days. The main entrance to the library is located between the two gates here. There is a gap for pedestrians 44cm wide (Photograph 9).
    • There is an entrance at the end of Grove Lane that give access to the William Stone Building and the far end of the Deer Park. This is via a gate 174cm, which can be made double width to give vehicle access if required (Photograph 10). There is also access to St. Peter’s Terrace off Grove Lane, via a single gate 102cm wide and a slight slope (Photograph 11). All the houses in St. Peter’s Terrace are accessed by steps (Photograph 12). There is also a similar gate further down Grove Lane that gives access to the path at the rear of the houses (Photograph 13).
  • Getting Around the College Site View
    • From the Porters' Lodge and Trumpington Street entrance, the paths have a flagstone surface, so are uneven in places (Photograph 14). There is a steep ramp or 2 12cm high steps (Photograph 15 and 16) to access Old Court (Photograph 17). There is a cut through at the far end of Old Court which has a slight ramp, 89cm wide (Photograph 18). This leads through to Gisborne Court. This leads through to Fen Court, which has a concrete tile surface that is more even (Photograph 19). From here there is a slight ramp leading up to the Theatre. The bollard at the top of the ramp makes the gaps 107cm and 110cm wide (Photograph 20).
    • Leading off the side of Old Court is Screens Passage, which is accessed via a shallow, worn step (Photograph 21). The entrance to the Hall is off this passage, and at the end there is a steep ramp, 125cm wide (Photograph 22). If the main gates to this passage are closed, there are doorways in the gates 66cm wide with a 9cm threshold. Beyond the passage there is a gravel path to the left leading to the Fellows Garden (Photograph 23), and a flagstone then compacted gravel path leading through the Deer Park (Photographs 24 and 25). There are unsurfaced and gravel paths leading off the main path (Photograph 26). At the far end of the Deer Park, the main path narrows to 140cm and has a slight slope leading up to the William Stone Building (Photograph 27).
    • The area around the William Stone Building has a brick block paving surface. There is a brick block path, with a slight slope at the start, leading to the rear of the St. Peter’s Terrace houses and the Squash Court (Photographs 28 and 29).
  • Additional College Site Information View
    • Many of the buildings at Peterhouse have step-free access into them, although some are accessed by steps only (Photograph 30). Peterhouse is the oldest College in Cambridge, with parts dating back to the 13th century. Due to the age of the buildings the staircases do vary in materials and layout. The height and depths of steps are not uniform and neither is lighting, handrail provision/type or step markings (Photographs 31-32). Please see our Detailed Access Guides for further information on access to buildings.
    • There is not much directional signage around the site which means those unfamiliar with the layout will need an escort or a map to reference.
    • Accessible toilet facilities are located on the first floor in the corner of Old Court and the basement of the Whittle Building.
  • AccessAble Related Links View

Useful Information

Summary of Route

  • The following information describes the route from the Porters' Lodge to the Theatre Complex.
  • The approximate distance of this route is 150 metres.
  • The route takes approximately 3-5 minutes to walk.
  • Most paths along the route have a surface of block paving or asphalt.
  • The potential hazards on this route include uneven paving, trip hazards and the crossing of access roads.
  • The route has a mixture of slight and steep slopes/ramps.
  • There is a portable ramp and a ramp which bypasses the steps from the Cloisters into Old Court.

Covid-19 One-way System - Porters' Lodge Entrance from Exit on Campus

  • At time of survey (August 2021) there was a one-way system in place making the doorway on campus exit only. To access the entrance, go past the doorway within the campus to the gate onto Trumpington Street.
  • The gate is permanently held open, 85cm wide and has a big dip where the stone has been worn down over time. The dip is around 40cm wide with steep slopes on either side and could potentially be a trip hazard (Photographs 2, 3 and 4).
  • Turn right onto Trumpington Street, after approximately 7 meters the entrance is on the right (Photograph 5).
  • The entrance door has a step in front of it which is approximately 12cm high on either side. There is a dip approximately 40cm wide in the middle where the step has been worn away The step is approximately 3cm high where the dip is. This slopes up to the room level (Photographs 6 and 7).
  • The door itself is 81cm wide, is permanently held open and has a slightly sunken mat just inside which could be a trip hazard (Photograph 8).

Porters' Lodge - One-way System Exit to Old Court

  • The Porters' Lodge exit door is 90cm wide, is permanently held open and has a slight lip at the door due to a mat just inside.
  • The short path away from the door has steep slope down and a slight slope up from a dip in the middle (Photograph 2).
  • Turn left onto the stone slab path. The path here is uneven,121cm wide with cobblestones on either side (Photograph 3).
  • After approximately 20 metres you will reach the Cloisters into Old Court. Here there is a steep permanent ramp which bypasses two unmarked steps that are 11-12cm high, over 30cm deep and have no handrails (Photographs 4-7).

Old Court to Gisborne Court

  • Follow the path along the left-hand side of Old Court. The path here consists of uneven stone slab paving, has a slight slope and is 121cm wide with cobblestones on either side (Photographs 1-6).
  • At time of survey (August 2021) the path was narrowed to around 50/60cm due to overgrown vegetation to the left.
  • Follow the path past the vegetation and along the left side of the court for approximately 43 metres. Go past the gated entrance to the left until the path turns right (Photograph 7).
  • Follow the path to the right around the edge of the court for a further 11 metres before reaching a cut through on the left. Turn left up the steep uneven slope to the doorway (Photographs 8 and 9).
  • The doorway has a slight lip which could be a trip hazard and is 137cm wide. The stone slabs are uneven within the cut through. There is a portable steep ramp which bypasses the 5cm step at the next doorway which is 121cm wide. The ramp has worn/faded hazard tape around the edges (Photographs 10 and 11).
  • Once through the doorway, the path has a narrowest point of 160cm and is uneven in places as you enter Gisborne Court. Follow the path on the right of the octagon shaped grassed centre and out of the right-hand side of the court (Photographs 12-15).

Gisborne Court to the Theatre Complex

  • When leaving Gisborne Court there are a couple of manhole covers which could be trip hazards. Turn right out of the court with signage for the Theatre in front of you (Photographs 1 and 2).
  • The surface changes to block paving with a few smooth surfaces due to smoke outlets which could be slippery when wet (Photograph 3).
  • Once you have turned right there is further signage for the Theatre directly ahead on the wall behind the bicycle racks (Photograph 4).
  • The path turns to the right again after approximately 10 metres.
  • There is a wide ramp with a slight gradient and handrails on either side that are fairly easy to grip (not oval). At the top of the ramp there is a central bollard (to stop vehicles possibly entering) which narrows the ramp to 109cm on either side (Photographs 5-7).
  • At the top of the ramp the surface changes to asphalt and the slope goes from steep to slight as you head towards the signed Theatre entrance. You pass a Blue Badge bay directly in front of the entrance (Photograph 8).
  • The surface changes to block paving and levels out in front of the automatic entrance door to the Theatre Building (Photograph 9 and 10).