Subseries 03 - Plans and drawings of Gonville Court, including the Hall and Combination rooms

GC/DOM/PD/03

4 drawers, 2 rolls

97.057-8 - Plans for twentieth century projects were transferred to the Archive from the Domestic Bursar's Office, 1997.

Plans for the Gonville Court redevelopment project were transferred to the Archive by the Special Projects Bursar's Office, 1997.

Additional plans were added by the Clerk of Works, Paul Street, 2000.

Gonville Court is based upon the original Trinity Street site of Gonville Hall. The original Hall and Library, occupying the north west corner of what is now Gonville Court, were built between 1431 and 1441. of Gonville Hall was built between 1431 and 1441; this area also became the site of the common room, or combination room, from around the sixteenth century. The chapel, the earliest part of which dates back to c.1390, forms the south side of the court; with 14th-15th century buildings to the east.

The 12th and 13th century houses which originally formed the north side of the court were rebuilt in the mid-18th century, at which point the rest of the court was refaced. In the mid-nineteenth century, the north west corner of the court was converted into a house for the Senior Tutor, E.S. Roberts, and his family. This conversion was reversed during the Cameron mastership, when the Senior Parlour, the Junior Parlour and the Bachelors' (now Middle) Combination Room.

Alterations to the Library and Hall have been made periodically. These included the introduction of a plaster ceiling in the Hall by John Soane in 1792. Increases in student numbers made it necessary to build a new hall, adjoining Trinity Lane in 1853-4, to the design of Anthony Salvin; and the Library was moved north, also abutting Trinity Lane, at the same time. The Old Hall was first converted into rooms, then in 1909 into the Monro Library, later a student reading room. This work overlapped with alterations to the Hall by Edward Warren. Refurbishment of the College kitchen was undertaken in the 1960s; and most recently, following the removal of the Library, a major refurbishment was undertaken by John Simpson to convert the Old Hall and the Old Library into a Fellows' dining room and combination room, and to refurbish kitchen and student bar facilities.

The surviving plans of Gonville Court reflect the later history of Gonville Court, mainly regarding the alterations to Hall from Soane onwards; the refurbishment of the kitchens; and the Simpson redevelopment of the west range of Gonville Court.

(Additional information about the architectural history of Gonville Court can be found in C.N.L. Brooke, History of Caius, and the Biographical History of Caius, Volumes III, IV, VI and VIII)

See:

• plans of the Library in the Cockerell Building; and plans of the Chapel (PD)

• Junior Bursar's files on building projects (DOM)

• Department of Estate Management files on building projects (EMBS)

• Gonville Court redevelopment files (DOM).