1428 Trinity College King Edward's Tower

King Edward's Tower is the earliest part of the current Great Court. It forms part of the North Range and no longer functions as an entrance to the College.

It was moved by Nevile in 1599-00, to a spot nearly 70 feet North of its original position. It originally was the gatehouse of King's Hall. Passing through the gate from Great Court, on the left can be seen the other remaining parts of King's Hall. It is the West range of what was a small court in King's Hall. These building were left in situ, and thus link rather awkwardly to the tower.

The tower was built 1428-32. This made it the first gatehouse in Cambridge, to be followed by those of King's College and Queens' College in the space of 20 years.

It is of stone, and the master mason was probably Dodington. The coupled windows above the main arch would have been the same shape as others in the King's Hall cloister.

The niche and statue of Edward III were added soon after the tower was moved, in 1601, and are by Paris Andrew.

The lantern above the tower dates from 1856. It is a copy of an earlier one made in 1610. Loggan's engraving of 1688 does not show the lantern as it is today; Pevsner attributes this to a mistake of Loggan's.

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