The Round Church

One of the most distinctive and memorable landmarks, in a city full of distinctive and memorable landmarks, is Cambridge's Round Church, or Church of the Holy Sepulchre as it is more correctly known. It's thought to be the second oldest church in the city dating from about 1130 AD.

There are four "round churches" in England - at Northampton (c. 1100-1125), the Temple Church in London (1185) and at Little Maplestead in Essex (c. 1300). They are all thought to be associated with fraternities such as The Knights Templar, who took part in the Crusades. There is in the chronicles of Ramsey Abbey, twenty miles north-west of Cambridge, a document granting the land to build the church  to the Fraternity of the Holy Sepulchre who included in their number the splendidly named "Randolph with the Beard".

The church retains many of its Norman features including the magnificent doorway above. Much later the parish was probably unique in that the vicar was elected by the church wardens and parishioners rather than being appointed by the Bishops of Ely; a state of affairs which irritated the bishops greatly. Vicars were often Fellows of the colleges and, since they lived in the colleges there was no need for a vicarage in the parish.

The church suffered greatly at the hands of Cromwell's men. A diary from 1644 states, "in Pulcher's or Round parish we brake down fourteen superstitious pictures, and divers idolatrous inscriptions, and one of God the Father, and of Christ, and of the apostles".

By 1841 the church was in a state of near-collapse and plans were drawn up for a restoration project. The whole scheme was the subject of much heated debate and at one point the vicar and his opponents were involved in a race to Ely to persuade the Chancellor to their cause.

At present there is a display charting the history of the church and the development of Christianity in Britain which is depicted on several display boards situated around the building. It gives a fascinating insight into Cambridge's part in that development, though, in my opinion, rather detracts from the atmosphere of this unusual building.

Take care.