Conservation Statement

Emmanuel's 2015 Statement details the history, heritage and conservation of the whole college, showing our Spirit of Place.

It tells us about:

  • our heritage & our history
  • all that we have received from our predecessors
  • what makes Emmanuel what it is today
  • how our past has influenced our present
  • how those of us who are here now regard it
  • what makes Emmanuel the College we all cherish
  • how all of this, our past and present, influence our future
  • where Emmanuel is going and what we can achieve
  • what we want to do next to build on our heritage

Line drawing of Front Court from B staircase

Here’s what we found:

  • Emmanuel is rich architecturally. We have 19 listed buildings, alongside a sense of continual development.
  • Our architectural development stems from a medieval religious site of teaching and learning. These form academic connections across the centuries.
  • We are a place that people love, where the open spaces matter as much as the building.
  • Our spaces like Front Court & the Paddock play a key role in influencing our sense of place.
  • We are a meritocracy, stemming from our puritan roots, educating men to serve the people. Our students come from schools of all kinds and locations. We are traditional, but not pompous, and membership is for life.
  • Together, all the elements of our College — buildings, spaces, traditions and people — create an unmistakable identity.
  • Our ‘spirit of place’ owes its existence to the continuous interweaving of history, people and adaptation to new circumstances.

Conservation Statement Resources