Venues
This page lists all venues commonly used by CSM for concerts. Please note that venue facilities, in particular bar and refreshment facilities, vary from venue to venue. If you can’t find any information that you need about any of our venues, especially with regards to access, please contact us.
Downing Place URC + Ely Cathedral + King’s College Chapel + Old Divinity School + OLEM Catholic Church + Queens’ College Chapel + Robinson College Chapel + Saffron Hall + Sidney Sussex College Chapel + Trinity College Chapel + West Road Concert Hall + St John the Evangelist Church
Downing Place URC
Downing Place, Cambridge CB2 3EL
Formerly St Columba’s URC, Downing Place URC was formed in 2018 by the union of St Columba’s and Emmanuel URC. The church is in the heart of Cambridge, near the Grand Arcade. The building has recently undergone a substantial refurbishment and now offers purpose-built facilities for musical and dramatic performances.
Following its recent refurbishment, all Downing Place URC’s facilities are fully accessible.
Information is currently being updated on the church’s website. If you have any specific queries about access at Downing Place URC please contact us as far in advance as possible and we will do our best to help you.
Washrooms
Downing Place URC has toilet and washroom facilities for all visitors, including toilets adapted for disabled patrons.
Catering
Please note that a bar/refreshments cannot be offered at this venue.
Parking
We encourage the use of public transport where possible. If you need to travel by car, we recommend that you use Parkopedia to identify nearby parking availablity and rates.
Ely Cathedral
Ely, Cambs, CB7 4DL
Ely Cathedral provides a stunning setting for musical performances, and is outstanding both in terms of scale and stylistic details. Originating in the 7th century, the present building dates back to 1083. Its most notable feature is the central octagonal tower which, together with the West Tower, dominates the surrounding landscape.
Both the West and South doors provide wheelchair access to the Cathedral and wheelchair users can access most areas of the Cathedral ground floor. All areas are either flat or ramped, including the Lady Chapel and the Cathedral shop. Accessible toilets are available. There is a hearing loop system that covers the Choir, South and North Transepts and the Lady Chapel.
Further information including getting to the Cathedral.
King’s College Chapel
King’s Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1ST
King’s College Chapel is the most instantly recognizable and iconic building in Cambridge. It is considered one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world’s largest fan vault. The Chapel was built in phases by a succession of kings of England from 1446 to 1515, a period which spanned the Wars of the Roses and three subsequent decades. The Chapel’s large stained glass windows were completed by 1531, and its early Renaissance rood screen was erected in 1532–36.
Wheelchair access is via the south gate up a ramp, with a further ramp inside providing acess from the antechapel to the choir chapel. There are spaces for wheelchairs when attending a concert. There is limited access to the permanent exhibition due to the narrowness of the corridors and steps.
Further information including getting to the Cathedral.
This attractively beamed hall is part of a building built in the 1870s that originally housed the university’s School of Divinity. After the Divinity School moved to the Sidgwick Site in 2000 the building reverted to St John’s College and, after extensive refurbishment, is now used as a lecture theatre and concert hall.
The Old Divinity School is accessible by wheelchair users, with a lift available to reach the hall on the first floor.
The Old Divinity School is directly opposite the Great Gate of St John’s College. Further information about getting to the college can be found here.
Our Lady and the English Martyrs Catholic Church
Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1JR
The Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, generally known as OLEM, makes an inspiring setting for concerts. An imposing example of the 19th Century Gothic Revival its generous acoustic makes it an ideal choice for musical performances. A treasure of the church is the magnificent Abbott & Smith three-manual pipe organ, built in 1890 to the personal specification of Charles Villiers Stanford.
Disabled parking spaces are available. Step-free access is available via the Lensfield Road entrance.
Washrooms
The church has limited toilet and washroom facilities for visitors.
Parking
We encourage the use of public transport where possible. If you need to travel by car, we recommend that you use Parkopedia to identify nearby parking availablity and rates.
Queens’ College Chapel
Silver Street, Cambridge CB3 9ET
Queens’ is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou, The original 15c chapel is now used as a library. The current chapel in Walnut Tree Court was designed by G.F.Bodley and built in 1891. It follows the traditional College Chapel form of an aisle-less nave with rows of pews on either side. The three-manual Binns organ, built in 1892, is one of the finest instruments in Cambridge, and is unique for remaining tonally unaltered since it was built.
The College sites on both sides of the river Cam have step-free entry points with automated doors and gates, and step-free routes are available to almost all ground-floor public destinations in college. Level access is available to the chapel.
Information about getting to the college can be found here.
Robinson College Chapel
Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9AN
Robinson is one of Cambridge’s most recently built colleges. The striking Chapel has two outstanding stained glass windows by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens. It also houses a world renowned Frobenius organ, a harpsichord by David Rubio and a Steinway piano.
The college entrance is accessible via a sloping walkway, 23.5m long at an incline of 1:2. Entrance to the Chapel is step free and there are accessible toilets on the ground floor of the college. One parking space is available for a wheelchair user’s car in the College underground car-park. This space needs to be booked in advance. On-street parking is available in nearby side streets.
Directions & Parking
Directions to the college can be found here. On-street parking is available on nearby side streets.
Saffron Hall
Audley End Rd, Saffron Walden CB11 4UH
Saffron Hall is an award-winning 740-seat performance space built in the grounds of Saffron Walden County High School. Opened in November 2013, the hall’s critically acclaimed acoustic and state-of-the-art facilities have already welcomed artists including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Nicola Benedetti, Courtney Pine and the Sixteen.
Saffron Hall is fully wheelchair accessible from the car park, with level external door thresholds and a power-assisted main entrance door. Accessible seating includes 6 wheelchair spaces and 14 step-free seats.
Accessible toilets are located on the ground floor and the mezzanine, which is accessible by lift.
Saffron Hall has seats with additional space for assistance dogs (subject to availability).
An induction loop is installed in the concert hall for patrons who are hard of hearing.
For further information please visit:
Washrooms
Saffron Hall has toilet and washroom facilities for all visitors, including toilets adapted for disabled patrons (see under ‘Access’).
Catering
Saffron Hall has a bar / refreshments service which will be open at CSM-promoted events.
Parking
Saffron Hall has over 400 free on-site parking spaces. including dedicated parking spaces for wheelchair guests and Blue Badge holders. Most car parks are to the rear of the building, within five to 10 minutes’ walk of the hall.
Sidney Sussex College Chapel
Sidney Street, Cambridge CB2 3HU
Sidney Sussex College is located in the historic heart of Cambridge. Sidney is one of the smaller Cambridge Colleges, and is renowned for its warm and welcoming atmosphere and friendly community. The Chapel has a fine collection of keyboard instruments, including a Steinway piano, a Flentrop organ and a ‘Bach’ harpsichord after Michael Meitke.
Entrance to the college from Sidney Street is via several steps, however, step-free access into the college , is available via the college’s King Street entrance.
No accessible toilets are available.
Further information about the college, including travel and parking can be found here.
Trinity College Chapel
Trinity Street, Cambridge CB2 1TQ
Trinity College Chapel was built by two queens, Mary and Elizabeth I, in the mid-16th century. The architectural style is Tudor-Gothic, with Perpendicular tracery and pinnacles. The stalls, wooden panelling, reredos and organ screen date from the early eighteenth century, and the coats of arms above the stalls from 1755-56. The chapel has a fine organ, built in 1976 by the Swiss firm Metzler. This mechanical-action instrument incorporates seven ranks of pipework from the organs built for Trinity by ‘Father’ Bernard Smith in 1694 and 1708, and the original cases have been restored.
There is level access to Trinity College’s main entrance on Trinity Street, with a ramp down into Great Court. The Chapel has a ramp and hand rail leading to the porch and smooth floors inside. Induction loops are installed in the Chapel. Accessible toilets are available in various locations in the college.
Further information about getting to the college, including travel and parking can be found here.
West Road Concert Hall
11 West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DP
West Road Concert Hall is one of Cambridge’s premiere music venues. Ideally situated only minutes’ walk from the famous Cambridge Backs and King’s College, it is a purpose-built concert venue renowned for its superb acoustic qualities.
Two parking bays for blue badge holders are available on the Sidgwick Site, just next door to the Concert Hall building.
Three wheelchair spaces are available in the concert hall with easy access at ground floor level throughout the building. The main entrance to the venue has a double width door, with a push button for automatic opening.
An induction loop is installed in the concert hall for patrons who are hard of hearing.
Toilets adapted for disabled patrons are available in the foyer approximately 18 metres from the main seating area.
Assistance dogs are welcome in the building.
For further information please visit:
Washrooms
West Road Concert Hall has toilet and washroom facilities for all visitors, including toilets adapted for disabled patrons (see under ‘Access’).
Catering
Please note that the West Road Concert Hall bar will not be open at 2021 Summer Music Festival events.
Parking
We encourage the use of public transport where possible. If you need to travel by car, we recommend that you use Parkopedia to identify nearby parking availablity and rates.
St John the Evangelist
Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 8RN
The Church of St John the Evangelist is a warm and welcoming Church of England Parish Church, on Hills Road to the south of Cambridge city centre.
There are paths from the surrounding roads into the church. At the front of the church there is a wheelchair accessible ramp with handrails. Behind the church, there is a vehicle driveway from Blinco Road leading to a car park. There is one bay permanently reserved for disabled visitors; more spaces can be reserved on request.
Throughout the buildings, doorways and aisles are all wide enough for a wheelchair to pass. Chairs can be removed from any position in the nave to allow for a wheelchair.
There is a toilet in the Community Rooms block designated for wheelchair users which can be reached by level access from the church.
For further information please visit:
Washrooms
St John the Evangelist has toilet and washroom facilities for all visitors, including an accessible toilet for disabled patrons.
Catering
Please note that a bar/refreshments cannot be offered at this venue.
Parking
We encourage the use of public transport where possible. If you need to travel by car, we recommend that you use Parkopedia to identify nearby parking availablity and rates.
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