Dining and staying in College
Dining in College
Dining takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Unless the Fellows' Steward gives permission, high-table dining is limited to occasions on which there are present at least four people, of whom two are the Master or Governing Body Fellows.
Downing members in the categories below who are out of residence are welcome to dine with Fellows at High Table twice in each full term only (not during vacations) and may bring with them one guest only (whose meal and alcohol will be charged). On the first occasion, dinner will be free of charge for the alumnus/a, although guests' meals will be charged for. On the second occasion, both meals will be charged for. Unless otherwise explicitly noted, all wine and spirits taken before, during and after dinner are charged for all diners.
If dining is cancelled by the Fellows’ Steward for any reason, the College will notify you as soon as possible, and this is likely to be in line with the booking deadline timings below. On these occasions, it may be possible to use the servery in the early evening but, regrettably, student Formal Halls will not be an alternative.
Members wishing to organise a dinner open to their whole year group are asked to contact alumni.events@dow.cam.ac.uk for more information on how to arrange this. The Conference Office can help you to organise smaller private functions.
You are eligible to dine at High Table if you meet one of the following criteria: you have a:
- Cambridge BA or any other Cambridge postgraduate degree, and 19 terms have passed since you matriculated at Cambridge
- Cambridge MA
- Cambridge postgraduate degree or qualification and have reached the age of 24 years.
Places at High Table may be booked through the online High Table booking system. You will need a valid Downing College login (eg. abc@dow.cam.ac.uk) which you can request via the High Table Access Request form.
When booking, you will be asked to provide the following information:
- Your name and that of your guest, if you are bringing one.
- Your matriculation year.
- The date on which you wish to dine.
- Any food allergies or intolerances you have and those of your guests, and requests for vegetarian meals.
- Wine options for you and your guest (none, wine during dinner, and/or wine pre/post dinner).
- Confirmation that you meet the eligibility criteria by giving your degree and when you took it.
- Your contact details for billing purposes.
Please be aware that a maximum of 4 alumni are permitted to dine at High Table on any one night (this number includes guests). The deadline for booking a dinner at High Table is provided below:
- Monday High Table - book by 10am on the previous Friday
- Wednesday High Table - book by 10am on Tuesday
- Friday High Table - book by 10am on Thursday
Cancelling your booking
If you need to cancel your booking, please indicate this via the High Table booking system. If you cancel on the day of your booking, please be aware that your meal allowance will be counted as having been taken and, if it is your second meal in a full term, or you have a guest booked in, you will be charged for these meals.
Staying in College
Alumni who wish to stay in College may book guest rooms, subject to availability, by telephoning the Accommodation Office on 01223 762063 or emailing the Accommodation Office.
If you would like to hold business or private meetings in College, please visit the Conference Office website for more information.
Parking for alumni
We recommend travel by public transport.
Downing College is easy to reach by public transport – train or bus – or by one of the City’s Park & Ride services.
Cambridgeshire County Council operates seven Park & Ride schemes, with large car parks and regular bus services into the city. The most convenient Park & Ride for Downing College is at Trumpington, which stops outside John Lewis, just a five-minute walk away.
Cambridge is on the main lines from London King’s Cross and London Liverpool Street. Downing College is situated about ¾ mile from the Railway Station and is served by regular buses and taxis.
Cambridge’s main bus station, Drummer Street, is only a five-minute walk from Downing College.
Unfortunately, Downing College is unable to guarantee parking in College for alumni as spaces are extremely limited.
All requests to park must be submitted to the Alumni & Development Office in advance and are at the discretion of the Porters.
Upon arrival, please report to the Porters Lodge and follow their instructions, allowing contingency time if the car park is full and you are turned away.
If you do park in College, cars must be removed at the end of the evening and may only be left overnight with prior permission from the Head Porter.
Please note that parking spaces in College cannot be reserved, unless they are pre-booked disabled parking spaces, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please email if this is required.