Downing College Cambridge, The North Range

Downing College was founded by George Downing. As he had no heirs he left his estate to his cousin Jacob but stipulated that if Jacob, and subsequently three other cousins, died without issue, the estate was to found a college in Cambridge. After over thirty years, legal battles by the family had failed to retain the money from the estate,so the Court of Chancery decided in favour of the will and George III granted Downing a royal charter.
It was 1807 when building began, the architect William Wilkins designed the college in neo Grecian style and as the first campus style college in the world. Lack of money meant that the buildings could not be completed all at once, as intended, and only the east range, with the Master’s Lodge at the end, and the west range, which includes the Hall, were originally built. The north range which has the Chapel at its centre was built in 1950 to a design by Scott and Helbing. To the south is the tree lined area known as The Paddock.