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Downing College

Venue at a glance

  • The Howard Conference Centre featuring the sustainable Georgian style Howard Theatre
  • Restored Dining Hall to its original 19 century décor
  • Range of elegant, high quality bedrooms offering single, twin or double en suite
  • Civil marriage licence for up to 160 guests during the summer months
  • Acres of beautiful grounds in the heart of the city
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Introduction to Downing College

The Howard Theatre offers a unique Georgian style modern auditorium with tiered and gallery seating for up to 160. The Grace Howard Room with 162sqm of ground floor space is ideal for exhibitions, refreshments and a range of dining options. This room opens out on to the Sunken Garden 

The Howard Building and Reception Room is a modern flat floor lecture room. It is fully equipped with presentation equipment, with patio doors leading to the Sunken Garden.  This building is also ideal for Conference meetings, Drinks Receptions, Wedding Civil ceremonies and smaller functions.   

 
Grace Howard Grace Howard
Grace Howard
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The Grace Howard Room is on the ground floor of the new Howard Theatre and offers a space of 160sqm, ideal for exhibitions and refreshment breaks, as well as a number of different dining options, such as formal dining for up to 80 and drinks receptions for up to 180.

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80 180 90 - - - 80
Howard Theatre Meeting Rooms 1 & 2 Howard Theatre Meeting Rooms 1 & 2
Howard Theatre Meeting Rooms 1 & 2
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Meeting Rooms 1-3 are situated within the new Howard Theatre and offer the perfect solution for smaller, boardroom-style meetings. The rooms are fully equipped with a suite of audio-visual facilities.

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Wilkins Room Wilkins Room
Wilkins Room
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Elegantly situated overlooking the tranquil East Lodge Garden, this room is ideal for boardroom style meetings or lectures.

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Fleet Room Fleet Room
Fleet Room
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Located close to the Hall, the Fleet Room is an elegant wood-panelled room ideal for smaller lunches and formal dinners for up to 24 guests.

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Parker's House Parker's House
Parker's House
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Parker's House is a contemporary conference and training facility that affords fantastic views of the Downing College grounds and benefits from natural daylight, air conditioning and easy access.

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West Lodge and Maitland Rooms West Lodge and Maitland Rooms
West Lodge and Maitland Rooms
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Located below the Music Room and the Annexe, the West Lodge and Maitland Rooms are adjoining, multi-purpose rooms, which are ideal for smaller seminars, or one large meeting room when joined. They are particularly suitable for company presentations, private dinners for up to 50, as well as drinks receptions and parties.

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46 70 60 15 20 20 -
The Hall The Hall
The Hall
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The Hall, has a grand classical interior with columns and finishes that reflect the spirit of the Greek revival period. This flexible space lends itself to all forms of catering, from cafeteria style meals to formal dinners and wedding receptions for up to 168 guests

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168 130 - - - - -
Howard Building Lecture Room Howard Building Lecture Room
Howard Building Lecture Room
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This magnificent building, created specifically with conference requirements in mind offers two floors of facilities. On the first floor the 160 seat Lecture Room is fully equipped with a multi-media projection and audio system. There is a small stage area to allow the speaker to be elevated, making the room ideal for presentations, lectures, training sessions and other events. The flat floor allows for flexibility of layout from theatre style to boardroom and cabaret. The building is fully accessible, with a lift between the floors.

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Howard Building Reception Room Howard Building Reception Room
Howard Building Reception Room
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This magnificent building, created specifically with conference requirements in mind offers two floors of facilities. On the ground floor the Howard Building Lounge offers a large reception area with a fitted bar, ideal for registrations, drinks receptions, refreshments breaks and lunch or dinner buffets. The building is fully accessible, with a lift between the floors.

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Howard Theatre Howard Theatre
Howard Theatre
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The new Howard Theatre offers tiered and gallery seating for 160. The design, by Quinlan and Francis Terry, shows the College's commitment to neo-classicism whilst at the same time offering an environmentally-sustainable stone building using ground-source technology for heating and cooling. Inside the decorative ceiling evokes the spirit of Georgian Theatre. All floors are fully accessible by lift.

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Music Room and Annex Music Room and Annex
Music Room and Annex
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Located directly above the West Lodge, the Music Room & Annex are a stunning combination of two adjoining rooms, which can be used as one space, or as separate rooms. An ideal venue for boardroom style meetings or presentations, break out rooms, or for refreshments and receptions.

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- - 60 20 20 20 20
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Accommodation at Downing College

A recent refurbishment programme has given us 96 superior standard en suite bedrooms, 32 of which have been furnished with double beds. A further 49 standard en suite rooms complete the complement of 146 en suite rooms. A small number of rooms in the superior accommodation have accessible status. Many of the rooms can also be offered for twin occupancy. An image of a standard bedroom can be found in the Gallery.

Superior en-suite 96 rooms
Standard en-suite 49 rooms
Study Rooms 138 rooms
Disabled 2 rooms
Total: 285 rooms
Bedrooms at Downing College
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Conference venue address

Downing College
Regent Street
Cambridge
CB2 1DQ

Contact details

Tel: +44(0)1223 334860
Fax: +44(0)1223 467934
http://www.downing-conferences-cambridge.co.uk
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Technical facilities available

  • Overhead Projector & Screen
  • Flipchart
  • 35mm Slide Projector
  • TV & Video
  • Data Projector
  • Photocopying
  • IT Facilities
  • DVD
  • Broadband
  • Multi-media projection system
  • PA System
  • Radio Microphones
  • Internet Access
  • The Howard Theatre is fully equipped for theatrical performances with state-of-the-art conference presentation facilities.
  • For any facilities we do not have, we can offer competitive rates on a whole range of hired in audio visual facilities and support staff.
  • Technical support available

Sports facilities

  • Tennis
  • Croquet
  • Sports fields
  • Fitness Studio

Additional notes

  • Amplified music allowed
  • Civil wedding licence and wedding receptions for non College members
  • Parking upon application
  • Summer School minimum age 18
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Dining at Downing College

At Downing a great emphasis is placed on the service of food and wine and our Executive Chef and his team take great pride in producing a high standard of cuisine for a variety of events. Using only the freshest ingredients they will create healthy and well balanced menus using locally sourced ingredients where possible.

The college has an extensive wine cellar that offers a good selection of carefully chosen wines for quality and value.

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History of Downing College

Downing was founded by Sir George Downing, third baronet, with wealth left by his grandfather, the first baronet, who served both Cromwell and Charles II and built No. 10 Downing Street, which has been for 250 years the London home of the Prime Minister.

The College buildings were built on Pembroke Leys, an area of about 30 acres of small fields between Regent Street and Tennis Court Road. The first buildings were erected in 1807-1812 to the design of William Wilkins (1775-1839) who was greatly influenced by the buildings he had seen in Greece. Until recent foundations, Downing was the only Cambridge College to be designed as a whole, instead of being added to as occasion permitted.

The West Range, with the Hall opposite the Master's Lodge, was built in 1818 to 1820. Originally there was a free-standing Professor's house in each of the ranges but the intervening spaces have been built up and the former houses now provide seminar rooms and studies on the east and meeting rooms on the west.  

 

In 2010 the final (south) side of the Howard Court was completed with the Howard Theatre (designed by Mr Quinlan Terry and his son Francis). The Georgian-style auditorium, modelled on William Wilkin’s remaining working theatre (the Theatre Royal in Bury St. Edmunds) and the similar Richmond Theatre in Yorkshire, complements the 21st century green design of the building which incorporates ground-source heating/ cooling  and solar heated water.

 

 

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Why choose
Cambridge?
Our clients say...

"It proved to be a perfect venue that worked superbly well- your facilities are wonderful and really were absolutely spot-on for us. Thanks for helping make an excellent two-day event for us a huge success. "

Tim Passingham EMEA BT Conferencing

Downing College news

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Telephone number +44(0)1223 334860