King’s College, Cambridge

King’s College was founded by King Henry VI in 1441, the year after he founded Eton College, originally a sister college which sent scholars on to King’s. It is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge and parts are open to the public. The highlight is undoubtedly the chapel, begun by Henry VI but finished by Henry VIII in 1544. The delay was partly due to the inconvenience of the dynastic ‘Wars of the Roses’. The chapel’s ceiling, the world’s largest fan vaulted ceiling, windows and carving are, quite literally, breathtaking. Behind the altar is the Adoration of the Magi by Rubens and the chapel is also full of Tudor iconography. It is, of course, also famous for the annual Christmas Eve service of Nine Lessons and Carols, introduced by Eric Milner-White in 1919 and now broadcast all over the world. The College further boasts the fine, classical style Gibbs Building, begun in 1723. King’s College stands on a wonderful site, flanked by the town and King’s Parade to the east and the River Cam to the west.