Ultimate Guide to The Corpus Clock

The Corpus Clock is one of our favourite attractions in Cambridge and was named one of Time’s Best Inventions of 2008!! You can find it outside the Taylor Library at Corpus Christi College, on King’s Parade. It was funded by John C. Taylor, an old member of the college and an ingenious inventor of thermostatic kettles. It was then unveiled on 19 September 2008 by world-renowned physicist, Professor Stephen Hawking.

It is a truly a bizarre-looking clock, but it’s symbolism is fascinating!

• The weird grasshopper-like creature (lovingly nicknamed ‘Hopsie’ by the local students), is actually a ‘chronophage’ which means a ‘time-eater’.
• It is constantly eating away at our time, as the mechanical mouth opens and closes its ferocious jaws! It’s hypnotic to watch and some people find it deeply disturbing!
• The clock is only accurate once every 5 minutes, which symbolises that time is relative to us all.
• At the end of every hour a chain drops into a coffin to remind us of our mortality (a particularly morbid reminder when we’re walking past to get our morning brekkie)!

The clock’s time is displayed on flashing LED lights and the inscription at the bottom reads:
“The world will end, and all it’s lust thereof.” Something to think about on the train home!

You can find out more about the Corpus Clock and more amazing sights in Cambridge by checking out our amazing FREE Cambridge Walking Tour. 11am and 2pm daily!

24hours

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