The Backs facts for kids
The Backs is a beautiful area in the city of Cambridge, England. It's where many colleges of the University of Cambridge have their gardens and buildings right next to the River Cam. The name "The Backs" comes from the fact that these colleges are seen from their "back" side along the river.
A famous expert, Simon Jenkins, once said that the view of The Backs, especially with King's College, is one of the top ten best views in all of England! It's a very special and historic place.
What is The Backs?
The Backs is made up of the back gardens and grounds of several colleges. These colleges are lined up along the River Cam. Here are the main colleges you'll find there, going from north to south:
- St John's College: This college has buildings on both sides of the river. You can see its famous St John's Kitchen Bridge and the beautiful Bridge of Sighs.
- Trinity College: Its main buildings are on the east side of the river. Trinity Bridge crosses the river here.
- Trinity Hall: This college is also on the east bank. It doesn't have grounds on the west side of the river.
- Clare College: Its buildings are on the east bank, connected by Clare Bridge.
- King's College: This college is on the east bank, with King's Bridge crossing the river.
- Queens' College: Like St John's, Queens' has buildings on both sides of the river. It's connected by the unique Mathematical Bridge.
Sometimes, other colleges are also thought of as part of The Backs because they are very close by:
- Magdalene College: Its grounds are on the west side of the river, just south of the Magdalene Street Bridge.
- Darwin College: This college is at the very southern end of The Backs, past Silver Street.
- Jesus College: This college is just beyond the northern end of The Backs, behind Jesus Green.
In the past, the land here was used by the colleges for animals to graze or for growing fruit. Even today, you might still see cows grazing behind King's College! The river was also important for boats carrying goods to the mill at Silver Street.
A Look at History
Centuries ago, in the 1500s, The Backs was mostly fields, gardens, and fruit orchards owned by the University colleges. There were simple wooden bridges crossing the River Cam. Over time, the colleges planted rows of trees and built stronger, more lasting bridges.
In 1772, St John's College asked a famous English landscape designer named Lancelot "Capability" Brown for advice. He designed a wild, natural-looking area for the college, which you can still see today.
In 1779, Brown suggested a big plan for the whole University of Cambridge. He wanted to make The Backs look like a grand country estate, focusing on the Gibbs Building at King's College. His plan would have removed tree-lined paths, turned the river into a lake, and added groups of trees to hide the other colleges. However, this plan was never put into action. Maybe it was because it would have changed the old college borders and removed three important bridges.
Later, in 1979, many elm trees in The Backs got sick from a disease. So, a special "Backs Committee" was formed. They worked together to solve the problem. They cut down sick trees and planted new ones. This committee helped a lot, but it stopped meeting in 1994.
In 1995, English Heritage, a group that protects historic places, officially listed The Backs as a "Grade 1 Historic Park." This means it's a very important and protected historical landscape.
The Backs Today and Tomorrow
In the 2000s, six of the University of Cambridge colleges along The Backs asked a landscape architect named Robert Myers to create a new plan for the area. This plan, called The Backs Cambridge Landscape Strategy, was finished in 2007. It suggests ideas for how The Backs should change and grow over the next 50 years.
Myers' plan aims to make the landscape clearer, more connected, and even more beautiful. It suggests keeping and improving the current layout and views. It also proposes planting more trees and wild areas to help block the noise and sight of traffic from Queens Road. Some older or misplaced trees will be removed, and new ones will be planted. The plan also includes replacing old tree-lined paths and creating a "wildlife corridor" to help animals move safely through the area.
For example, at Queens' Green, which is at the southern end of The Backs, there's an idea to extend a path of beech trees. This would create another "rung" in the "ladder effect" made by other tree paths. More trees and wild plants would also be added to partly enclose a grassy area.
The colleges are talking with the City Council and English Heritage about this plan. If it's approved, the colleges will do the work themselves, using their own money. In 2007, a newspaper called The Daily Telegraph reported that the colleges, even though they usually like to do things their own way, had agreed on most parts of the plan. This shows how important The Backs is to them.
Images for kids
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Detail of a 1798 map showing The Backs
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Old engravings of the Bridge at King's College and Trinity College Bridge
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King's College Chapel from The Backs
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King's College Chapel viewed from the Backs
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King's College Chapel and the Gibbs Building (King's College) from The Backs
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Clare College and King's College Chapel from The Backs
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Clare Bridge
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A view of the River Cam near Trinity College
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Trinity College's avenue and gate to Queen's Road viewed from the Backs
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Trinity Hall's Jerwood Library on the bank of the Cam
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View of the northern end, with the Wren Library and University Library, from St John's College tower
