(From top) Christ’s College; dining hall at Downing College, and B&B room at Christ’s College. Rooms are available from July to September, mid-December to mid-January and mid-March to mid-April. Prices range from under £60 to £90 per person a night

A large room with high ceilings and big windows looks out to a lush green lawn in a well-maintained courtyard. A beech table with a modern office chair is positioned perfectly to look out at the beautiful view. A red carpet covers the stone floors. The single bed is laid out with fresh white towels, toiletries, a bathrobe and slippers.

The hotel room is ready for visitors.

But this is no ordinary resort for tourists seeking a slice of country life. It’s a 500-year-old building, the prestigious Christ’s College in Cambridge in England. And a single room in the historical building is available for £57 a night, with breakfast thrown in.

Anyone who has dreamt of studying in Cambridge University but never made it can now at least spend a few nights there as it throws open its hostels to tourists. They can wake up in the rooms that may have been homes to such luminaries as Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, William Wordsworth and John Milton and breakfast in the halls where Bertrand Russell, Allama Iqbal and Jagdish Chandra Bose would once have nibbled on their toasts.

“Now everyone can enjoy the truly unique experience of Cambridge from the inside,” says Kelly Vickers, manager of conference Cambridge, the official venue-finding site for Cambridge University.

As tourist attractions for Indians, Oxford and Cambridge are second only to London. After all, Cambridge’s list of 87 old students who went on to win the Nobel Prize includes economist Amartya Sen and last year’s chemistry prize winner Venkat Ramakrishnan. Three Indian Prime Ministers — Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh — are among the 40-odd heads of states and governments who studied there.

Every year, thousands of people visit the university town of Cambridge, considered the second oldest university in the English speaking world. The 800-year-old university is consistently ranked in the top five academic institutions in the world, generally vying for the top slot with its oldest rival Oxford University.

Visitors to Cambridge, Vickers adds, are lured by the historical architecture and unique atmosphere of the colleges. Medieval streets, college courts, gardens and bridges rub shoulders with museums and art galleries. The river Cam runs through the town, which, just 80 kilometres north of London, is easy to get to with goodroad and rail links.

Now, in a bid to move with the times, and make some money, 17 of the 31 colleges at Cambridge are part-timing as bed and breakfast (B&B) ventures. “We have been trying to get this project off the ground for the last three to four years,” explains Kara Sheehan, conference co-ordinator for Robinson’s College and in the team that manages its B&B venture. “But Cambridge has a lot of committees and everything has to be passed before it can be put into action,” she adds with a laugh.

The university rooms are available to tourists only during term breaks. The students are asked to move out every vacation — from July to September in the summer, mid-December to mid-January at Christmas and mid-March to mid-April at Easter. “We don’t always open up all the rooms for B&B during the Easter break as some of the students stay back to read before the exams,” explains Sue ’Donnell, conference manager for Christ’s College.

Cambridge has been an out-of-term conference venue for a few years now, so opening it up as a B&B destination is a natural progression. British universities have had their government grants reduced over the last decade. To generate funds, universities have introduced new measures — such as enrolling foreign students who pay higher fees. The B&B venture will add to the coffers. The colleges hope to plough the revenue back into creating better facilities for students.

Cambridge, however, does not fall into the poor university category with many rich alumni as benefactors. Overlooking the bust of Jagdish Chandra Bose in Christ’s College is a new centre named after Dr Yusuf Hamied of Cipla, who provided the money for a new theatre, practice rooms and gym. Both are former students of the college.

“When we wanted to refurbish our Great Hall we got in touch with our alumni and we were able to collect a million pounds,” says Jacqui Cressey, conference manager of Downing College. The hall looks magnificent with its high columns and intricate, gold motifs on the ceiling.

Downing College is set among beautiful grounds in a grand neo-classical design. The B&B rooms are luxuriously kitted out. “All the wood panelling, wooden wardrobes and doors are original,” adds Jacqui. The authorities focus on keeping the rooms immaculate — something that they insist on even during term time. “The students pay very heavy fines if they damage any of the university property,” says Cressey. The penalty for a small mark on the curtain can start from £100.

But the overnight guests may well follow the rules, for they are likely to belong to the set that appreciates the university’s history and beauty. “We once had a group of Americans staying with us and we booked them in rooms with air-conditioners,” recounts Judith Sloane, assistant manager conference, Cambridge. “They were most upset and asked for their rooms to be changed. They said they wanted the rooms with the long draughty corridors because that was part of the experience.”

The university is targeting India, China and the US for the first year of its B&B venture as that is where it has had the maximum interest from.

There is a great variety on offer both in terms of the age and style of buildings and hospitality. The number of rooms varies, and can be anything from 100 to 900. You can choose from a modern building like the New Court in Christ’s that overlooks the Darwin Garden, and looks like something that would not be out of place in a modern beach resort. Or go for the old world charm of Clare College, built in 1326, with the River Cam running through the campus. There is something to suit every taste and every budget. There are standard single rooms with a shared bathroom to Superior Twins Ensuite and everything in between. Prices range from under £60 to £90 per person a night for bed and breakfast.

“We try to ensure that our prices are competitive with the hotels in town,” says Cressey. And booking couldn’t be simpler. Go to the Conference Cambridge website (www.conferencecambridge.com) and then enjoy Cambridge University like never before!