St John's College

The Great Gate of Saint John's College features the heraldic arms of Lady Margaret Beaufort, carved in stone with vivid colors that still catch the light. She founded this college in fifteen eleven on the site of a ruined twelfth century hospital. Decades later, during the English Civil War, the college surrendered its massive silver plate collection to King Charles the First. The students watched as their treasures were hauled away to be melted down for the royal cause.