The Holy Trinity

The windows are largely Perpendicular in style, with vertical tracery, except for the chancel N and S walls, which have C19 Decorated style windows, and the aisles, which have mainly late C14 Decorated windows with flowing tracery.

The late C15 transept windows are very large and form a distinctive feature of the church.

The lower part of the C14 W tower incorporates the W wall of the late C12 church, and has a Decorated window.

The western three bays of the N and S nave arcades are C14, and have wave moulded orders on complex, shafted piers.

The wide arches to the N and S transepts were rebuilt in the C19 using much of the original C15 material, and have two orders, the outer continuous with a band of cinque-foiled panelling, the inner on shafts.

The chancel arch, entirely rebuilt in 1834, is similar, and internal buttresses added in the C15 also have tiers of cinquefoil panelling.

The sanctuary has blind traceried timber panelling and an elegant gilded wooden reredos by Bodley: this has an arched, shouldered head, and is divided into three traceried panels with carved figures, Christ in the centre flanked by the four evangelists, all under ogee arches.

The altar frontal is also carved, gilded timber with scenes from the life of Christ.

C19 pulpit, polygonal, with blind tracery panels.

Roofs: Except in the chancel, the church retains its medieval roofs.

It stands on short posts on corbels with demi-angels.

The S aisle roof is early C16 and has four bays divided into panels with a rafter and two purlins, all moulded.

In the S aisle, some unusual C19 glass with diagonal bands with biblical texts, and floral quarries in diagonal bands in the opposite direction.

Royal arms of 1814-37 over the tower arch, and below it an early C19 painted text.

A cabinet in the chancel is made of panels from the C18 pulpit.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: Fine C19 Gothic-style cast-iron fence on N and E sides with narrow, early C14-style trefoiled arcading divided by bands of quatrefoils.

HISTORY: A church on this site was destroyed by fire in 1174, and the lower part of the W wall may survive from this church.

The chancel was rebuilt c.1300,

in the late C14 there was extensive work on the nave including the addition or rebuilding of the N and S arcades and aisles, and the construction of the W tower inside the W end of the nave.

The N and S transepts were rebuilt in the C15.

The nave clerestory was also added in the C15, and the W tower was given larger buttresses.

The N porch was added in the late C15,

in the early C16 the S aisle was widened

lengthened towards the W. Galleries were added beginning in 1616, but only that in the S transept, survives.

A town lectureship was established there in the early C17, and subscribers for a N gallery to provide extra seats included parishioners from at least eight other parishes.

Charles Simeon REASONS FOR DESIGNATION The Church of Holy Trinity, Cambridge, is designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons: * Medieval parish church, with surviving work of the C14

C15, restored and partially rebuilt in the C19. * Good C15 roofs in most of the building. * Unusual survival of an early C19 gallery in the S transept. * Good late C19 reredos designed by Bodley. * Strong historical associations with the Evangelical movement, notably with Charles Simeon, vicar 1782-1836.