About Westminster College, Cambridge
Westminster College, a resource centre for learning serving the United Reformed Church - Conferences & Events www. westminster. cam. ac. uk /events
Westminster College, Cambridge Description
(* please see footnote below)
Westminster College - A brief history
Westminster College buildings were completed in 1899 to the design of the architect H T Hare who was commissioned by the Presbyterian Church of England to build a college in Cambridge to replace their existing one in London. The move to Cambridge was largely at the urging of two remarkable twin sisters, Agnes and Margaret Smith, known now by their married names as Mrs Lewis and Mrs Gibson. They were formidable biblical scholars. In their visits to Cairo and to St Catherine’s monastery in the Sinai they bought various valuable manuscripts, some of which are at the College and others in the Cambridge University Library. Their portraits hang in the College Dining Hall and a research scholarship they founded is still awarded.
In 1967 Westminster joined with Cheshunt College, Cambridge. This was a college founded at Trevecka in Wales by the Countess of Huntingdon and a significant component of the English and Welsh Evangelical Revivals. After the Countess’s death in 1792 it moved to Cheshunt in Hertfordshire and then, in 1906 to Cambridge, moving into purpose-built premises in Bateman Street in 1914. The Bateman Street buildings were sold in 1967 and many of the contents moved to Westminster. There are valuable portraits of the Countess of Huntingdon and others and an extensive archive, including material from the United States and manuscript hymns of Charles Wesley, now to be found in Westminster College.
In 1972 the Presbyterian Church of England and the Congregational Church in England and Wales united, although some individual Congregational Churches remained outside the union, and Westminster College was transferred into the ownership of the new United Reformed Church. Subsequently the Re-formed Association of the Churches of Christ joined the United Reformed Church in 1981 and the Congregational Union of Scotland joined in 2000.
Westminster College now serves some of the needs of the United Reformed Church for initial and continuing ministerial education and also admits students from other denominations. It is part of the Cambridge Theological Federation, an ecumenical partnership which has over 25 academic staff and over 400 students. The Federation teaches students taking academic awards of Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin University.
In Westminster College visitors will normally see the large Dining Hall, whose ceiling incorporates badges from Presbyterian churches around the world and the chapel, added in 1921, which has some fine stained glass windows. The Library and the Senatus Room can be seen by arrangement. The college was named Westminster in honour of the Westminster Catechisms and Confession, the latter being the foundation creed for Presbyterian churches around the world. Original manuscripts from the Westminster Assembly of Divines, including the text of the Confession, are kept in the College.
The college is a listed building, Grade II, having been completed to a very high standard. Almost all the original work survives, with modern facilities sympathetically introduced.
* PLEASE NOTE: Regular Facebook users will be aware that Facebook collects revenue through the use and placement of classififed advertisements. Westminster College in no way recommends or supports any of products or services advertised on Facebook through the Westminster Facebook page.
Reviews
Sunday 19th August is World Humanitarian Day. Click below to read the Principal's words on this important day. #NOTATARGET
https://www.westminster.cam.ac.uk/…/… /world-humanitarian-day
How wonderful to receive such lovey messages about our college.
Do send your feedback on to us, we always appreciate it!
The fascinating and prize-winning Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts (Penguin: 2018) by Christopher de Hamel, Parker Librarian at Corpus Christi College, is now out in paperback.
In his chapter on the Gospels of St Augustine, de Hamel includes a little anecdote about one of his predecessor Parker Librarians, Samuel Savage Lewis, who was of course the husband of our own Agnes Smith Lewis (check out Chapter 1 for a funny story of a couple having a holiday argument, Mrs Lewis... putting her foot down, and how the Rossano Gospels didn't come home with them to Cambridge) !
-To find out more about Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts, visit Penguin's website at: https://www.penguin.co.uk/…/meetings-wi th-remarkable-manus…/.
-To find out more about Samuel Savage Lewis, see the Parker Library's biography of him at https://theparkerlibrary.wordpress.com/‚Ä ¶/samuel-savage-lew‚Ķ/
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This morning a few members of our Westminster team spent time at Church House in London, learning about the URC in greater depth. Lead by the wonderful Fiona Thomas, we were given a great background to the URC through history, and treated to lunch!
As many are aware, as well as being an RCL for the URC, Westminster is also a hospitality and events service. Our team are dedicated to making every visitor feel welcome and looked after, so now having the knowledge we do, it will be much more interesting having guests from the church stay! #Quizpapersout
Catch up with the Principal’s latest thoughts in this months ‘Imagine’.
“Federer as Religious Experience”.
https://www.westminster.cam.ac.uk/…/new s/imagine-august-2018
As much as we are all loving the sun, a little cool down over the next couple of days will do us all (and the gardens) some good!
Nature is beautiful. üçÉ
We have a lot of artwork up around our college. The artists often close to home...
Where is this beautiful painting located and who is the artist behind it?
We have a new #blog post up on our website! #Celebrating #influential #women from the 1720s and 1730s.
This was written by our Archivist, Helen, so please do go and give it a read!
https://www.westminster.cam.ac.uk/…/lad ies-of-quality-and-d…
If you visit us, do pick up the leaflets providing information on new courses and upcoming events. The leaflets are located directly in front of you when you enter the foyer!
Please share them with relatives and friends!
Revd. Dr Ayla Lepine and Dr Alison Gray discuss the 1530s painting by Belgian artist Frans Francken. This painting depicts the Exodus story of Moses smashing the commandments down the mountain Sinai in anger, after seeing his people below worshipping a Golden Calf, and rebelling against the Lord.
This video has on screen English subtitles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXNH0mghP Fw
Please read our new blog online.
Our Business Development Manager Luisa is running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October for #MeetingNeedsCharity.
https://www.westminster.cam.ac.uk/‚Ķ/n‚Ä ¶/help-luisa-meet-needs
Dr Ayla Lepine and Dr Alison Gray are back again, this time discussing an object of embroidery work, by Catherine Benskin (1754).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zAuhJCib Ko&t=111s
Includes on-screen English subtitles.
Picture this week...
#JamesMaxwell , Physicist, Alumnus and Fellow of #trinitycollege , #cambridge .
Would just like to say a massive thanku to the Westminster college Cambridge x I entered a competition on line for a nights stay ; Breakfast ; And punting on the river x I caron hassey was lucky enough to win this amazing prize xx I would reccomend that the service i recieved was out standing x The room was beautiful x westminster college is beautiful inside and out a must stay visit if need a special treat xx Thanku Westminster college xx
Westminster College is a wonderful facility. The rooms are comfortable, the staff are helpful and friendly. The food is great. It is a wonderfully inspirational place. Accessible to the town, yet set apart. I highly recommend it for sabbaticals or personal/ corporate retreats.
Superb. Ideal location and lovely atmosphere. Room nice and kitchen facilities a bonus.
Great place to learn
Beautiful building, beautiful people! :)
Alumni accommodations are superb at Westminster College. It's in a nice location and is an attractive place.
A wonderful place! Great staff, great food, beautiful arts and crafts building and with a homely feel.
Would just like to say a massive thanku to the Westminster college Cambridge x I entered a competition on line for a nights stay ; Breakfast ; And punting on the river x I caron hassey was lucky enough to win this amazing prize xx I would reccomend that the service i recieved was out standing x The room was beautiful x westminster college is beautiful inside and out a must stay visit if need a special treat xx Thanku Westminster college xx
Westminster College is a wonderful facility. The rooms are comfortable, the staff are helpful and friendly. The food is great. It is a wonderfully inspirational place. Accessible to the town, yet set apart. I highly recommend it for sabbaticals or personal/ corporate retreats.
Superb. Ideal location and lovely atmosphere. Room nice and kitchen facilities a bonus.
Great place to learn
Beautiful building, beautiful people! :)
Alumni accommodations are superb at Westminster College. It's in a nice location and is an attractive place.
A wonderful place! Great staff, great food, beautiful arts and crafts building and with a homely feel.