Cripps Court, Selwyn College: A Guide for Students

If you’re joining Selwyn College, Cambridge, there’s a good chance your first year will start in Cripps Court. It’s the building the college uses to house nearly all its freshers, so understanding what it offers and how it compares to Selwyn’s other courts is worth doing before you arrive.

What Is Cripps Court?

Cripps Court is one of Selwyn’s three main residential courts, alongside Old Court and Ann’s Court. The building dates back to the 1960s and takes its name from the Cripps Foundation, a charitable trust that funded much of its original construction and, later, a full refurbishment completed in 2014.

Unlike Old Court, which has the traditional Victorian look most people picture when they think of Cambridge, Cripps Court is more modern in style. Some students find it lacks a bit of the postcard charm, but it makes up for that with practical, well-kept rooms and reliable facilities.

Rooms and Facilities

Every room in Cripps Court is a single en-suite, with a private bathroom and shared kitchen space on each floor for making drinks and light snacks. Selwyn keeps its accommodation on one compact site, so no student room sits more than 250 metres from the dining hall, which matters more than it sounds like on a cold Cambridge morning.

Since the 2014 refurbishment, the building has also picked up solar panels on the roof as part of the college’s push toward more sustainable operations. Students get a daily cleaning service on weekdays, and towels are changed twice a week.

The Diamond, Selwyn’s MCR common room and events space, sits within Cripps Court too, so it doubles as a social hub, not just a place to sleep.

Who Stays There

First-year undergraduates are automatically allocated a room in Cripps Court after A-level results come out. There’s no need to apply or reserve anything. From second year onward, students enter a ballot and can choose between Cripps Court, Old Court, Ann’s Court, or one of Selwyn’s hostel houses.

One thing that catches people out: rent is charged only for the weeks you’re actually in residence, not for the full year. That keeps costs noticeably lower than renting privately in Cambridge, where market rates run far higher.

Cripps Court Outside Term Time

During university vacations, Cripps Court switches over to bed-and-breakfast and conference accommodation, open to visitors and event guests. Rooms can be booked online, and guests get a hot breakfast in the dining hall each morning. It’s a popular option for people attending summer schools or conferences on the Cambridge site, thanks to the central location on Grange Road, a short walk from the Sidgwick Site and the town center.

Cripps Court vs. Old Court and Ann’s Court

• Old Court: Selwyn’s original 1880s building. A mix of en-suite and shared-bathroom rooms, with more traditional architecture.
• Ann’s Court: Completed in 2009, Selwyn’s newest court, fully en-suite.
• Cripps Court: A 1960s building, fully refurbished in 2014, fully en-suite, and the default home for first years.

None of the three is objectively “better.” Old Court has character, Ann’s Court is the newest, and Cripps Court offers modern comfort and a built-in first-year community, since nearly everyone starting out ends up there together.