We would love to see you
The main reception office at Ridley Hall is open Monday to Fridays during our residential term time except for public holidays. Out of term hours will vary.
Term Time Office Hours
Monday 8.00am to 2.00pm
Tuesday 8.00am to 2.00pm
Wednesday 8.00am to 2.00pm
Thursday 8.00am to 2.00pm
Friday 8.00am to 12.00 noon
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
If you are coming outside of term time, particularly from a distance, please call reception on 01223 746580 (dial +44 1223 746580 from outside the UK) in advance to check.
Our reception manager also works in an administrative capacity and her work sometimes takes her out of Reception – if you arrive to find the reception locked, please go instead to the Lodge Offices
Out-of-hours mailbox: There is a mailbox on the wall to the left of the college entrance steps for mail that is hand-delivered outside of office hours.
Where to find Reception: You’ll find the Reception office inside the entrance archway on your right.
Michaelmas Term 2023
Sunday 24 September – Thursday 7 December 2023
Teaching Weeks
Sunday/Monday 10/11 – Friday 15 September 2023
Monday 23 – Friday 27 October 2023
Lent Term 2024
Monday 15 January – Thursday 21 March 2024
Teaching Weeks
Monday 8 – Friday 12 January 2024
Monday 26 February – Friday 1 March 2024
Easter Term 2024
Monday 22 April – Thursday 13 June 2024
Teaching Weeks
Monday 15 – Friday 19 April 2024
Monday 17 – Friday 21 June 2024
Michaelmas Term 2024
Sunday 29 September – Thursday 12 December 2024
Lent Term 2025
Monday 20 January – Thursday 27 March 2025
Easter Term 2025
Monday 28 April – Thursday 19 June 2025
Car parking is very restricted at Ridley Hall so we would recommend wherever possible using Cambridge's excellent Park & Ride service. There are a number of Park & Rides around the city's perimeter, but the most convenient for Ridley is the Madingley Road Park & Ride. See our Getting here page for more details.
On-site parking
On-site parking is very limited and needs to be enquired about in advance through Reception (01223 746580). Depending on the purpose of your visit, we may be able to reserve you a space (for example if you are coming to teach a class or give a supervision).
Disabled Parking
There is one specifically designated disabled parking space (see college map). If you are planning to visit Ridley Hall and either you or a passenger has mobility needs, please phone Reception in advance to enquire about reserving this or another suitable available space.
Off-site parking
If you are coming as a general visitor (eg to meet with a member of the college) you may need to pay for parking on the adjacent roads.
There are now three ways in which you can pay for parking in Sidgwick Avenue and Ridley Hall Road:
Current charges are 50p per half an hour, with a maximum stay of 4 hours; the meters take 10p coins through to £2 coins, but no change is given. We’re sorry we are not normally able to give you change from the College Reception.
During term time we offer a number of rooms both en-suite and with shared bathroom facilities to those with a connection to Ridley – guests of current students and staff and alumni are welcome to enquire about availability.
Unfortunately we aren't able to offer weekend-only accommodation or to accommodate large parties. We only have a few rooms available for guests, but its central location makes Ridley Hall the perfect location for a theologically based break or a residential retreat trip. For information on longer stays for retreats, sabbaticals, study leave or career breaks, see our Refreshment Programme.
The architecture of our Victorian buildings means that rooms vary in size. Available rooms include single rooms, single/twin accessible rooms and twin rooms.
Booking
Breakfast may be booked at the same time as the room. Other weekday meals are available (during term time only) at an extra cost and require booking one week in advance, once your room booking is confirmed. For details, please make a booking enquiry.
Accessibility
The College is accessible via the main entrance by an accessible ramp. There is one specifically designated disabled parking space (see college map). If you are planning to visit Ridley Hall and either you or a passenger has mobility needs, please phone Reception in advance to enquire about reserving this or another suitable available space.
For further information on accessibility of the college grounds, see our Access page.
Wheel Chair Access- We currently have two wheelchair accessible rooms, with shared bathroom, kitchen and laundry facilities. We advise early booking of these rooms.
Other Rooms- We have several ground floor and en-suite rooms.
Live in Assistance and Assistant Dogs - Carers and assistance dogs are welcome for short visits, but please advise us in advance. Live-in carers and assistance dogs would need to be discussed well in advance.
Early arrival and vacation stays
Early arrival before the term starts and staying over vacation may be possible on prior arrangement. See our term dates. If you are planning to arrive outside of our Reception hours, please let us know in advance so that we can make alternative arrangements for your welcome and to give you your room key. Please note that unfortunately we are unable to take weekend arrivals outside of term time.
Booking enquiries
Booking enquiries are open to those with a genuine link to Ridley Hall (e.g. alumni of the college, and guests of current students and staff). To enquire about the availability of a guest room, please fill in our booking form
The main buildings of Ridley Hall are listed grade II. Of these, the first to be built was the Principal’s Lodge and Entrance Block together with separately listed gate onto Ridley Hall Road (all 1879–81), followed by the north block and Chapel (1981–92) and then the west block (1912). Dashwood House (c.1962) in the north west corner of the site, and the Precincts (c.1984) to the south west corner are unlisted.
Ridley was founded in the late 1800s, and we have both the privilege of our Victorian buildings and their challenges. Making our built heritage, and our learning and living facilities, more accessible in an appropriate and sensitive manner is a central part of our continuing plans of improvement. In 2021, we completed the first phase of our accessibility project, providing access to all our teaching areas, dining hall, and one accessible apartment.
College grounds in general: The main entrance to the college is fully accessible via a ramp with handrails, and through an archway with levelled tiles and paving into the courtyard. Once inside the college, the courtyard and gardens are all accessible by slabbed paved paths and some gravel.
College buildings in general: The Principal's Lodge building and Lecture Hall and 'C' staircase entrance are accessed from the courtyard via ramps with a handrail, and the chapel also has a separate accessible entrance via a ramp with handrail. 'D' staircase (including the common room and dining room) is accessed by two sets of steps or two platform lifts. However other Staircase entrances are currently accessed by at least two steps, and many without a handrail.
Chapel: There is level access via a ramp at the rear of the Chapel (please advise us in advance so that we can arrange access by this entrance). Inside, the chapel is spacious, with moveable chairs.
College offices: Most of the buildings which contain college offices are accessed by two steps up or one or more flights of stairs. Offices on the ground floor of Principal’s Lodge (see map) are all accessible. The housekeeping, premises and catering offices are all located in 'D' basement, down a flight of steps.
Common rooms: The common room is situated in 'D' staircase, which is accessible via an external platform life and internal platform stair lift. Inside the common room is carpeted and fairly spacious, with moveable furniture of various heights.
Dining Hall: The dining room is opposite the common room, in 'D' staircase, which is accessible via an external platform life and internal platform stair lift. The dining room is spacious and level inside, with moveable tables, wooden bench seating and a low-level servery.
Gardens: Our gardens are situated within the grounds of the college. They include fairly even slabbed paved paths, some gravel, and a level croquet lawn. All gardens are accessible, with no steps.
Laundry: A washing machine is fitted in our disabled accommodation; however the communal laundry is in the basement, down external stone steps with a handrail.
Library: The library is situated in a purpose-built underground space, with fresh air circulation system in place and two windows. It is accessed via external stone steps with a handrail or via a platform lift.
Reception and post room: Reception is up two steps from the main entrance archway.
Grove Books: The offices of Grove Books are in the basement which is accessed through Reception and down a steep and narrow flight of steps.
Toilets: There is a disabled toilet inside 'C' Staircase, which is fully accessible via a ramp with handrails.
The Lecture Hall: The main lecture hall is fully accessible from the courtyard via ramp with handrails.
Seminar rooms: Our two ground floor seminar rooms are fully accessible and are furnished with movable chairs and tables. There is also a third seminar room which is located on the top floor of the Principal's Lodge building, up several flights of stairs.
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