Didn’t women deserve a first-rate education? Newnham College was founded to answer this question. It stands as a testament to the steely determination of those who believed in women’s intellectual capabilities.
Welcome to Newnham College. This is one of the 31 colleges of the University of Cambridge. Newnham College was established in 1871 as a women’s college. This was at a time when women were not allowed to attend the University.
The history of Newnham College began with the Association for Promoting the Higher Education of Women in Cambridge in 1869. Philosopher Henry Sidgwick played a crucial role. In 1871, he rented a house on Regent Street for five female students. They wished to attend lectures but lived too far away. Anne Clough, a former school head, took charge of the house. In 1875, the first Newnham College building was constructed off Sidgwick Avenue.
Demand grew. Supporters formed a company to raise funds and build more facilities. Basil Champneys was hired as the architect. He designed the buildings in the Queen Anne style. This gave the college buildings a remarkable unity. Unlike most Cambridge colleges, students can walk on the grass most of the year here at Newnham College.
Many young women lacked access to formal secondary schooling in mid-19th-century England. Newnham College allowed them to work at a level that suited their abilities. By 1890, Newnham student Philippa Fawcett was ranked above the Senior Wrangler in the Mathematical Tripos.
In 1948, Newnham College attained full college status at the university. The university initially ignored these women. Arrangements for exams had to be negotiated individually. By 1881, general permission to sit exams was negotiated. In 1921, male undergraduates damaged Newnham’s bronze gates. They used a handcart as a battering ram. This was a memorial to Anne Clough.
The women were finally admitted to full membership of the university in 1948. Today, Newnham and Murray Edwards retain all-female student bodies. Lucy Cavendish College started admitting men in 2021.
The college arms were granted in 1923. They incorporate elements from the arms of those connected with the college’s founding. Anne Clough, the Principal was from the Clough family. Marion Kennedy cared for out-students. Henry Sidgwick and Eleanor Mildred Balfour were also great benefactors. No crest was granted because it was deemed inappropriate for a women’s college.
Basil Champneys designed what was popularly said to be the second-longest continuous indoor corridor in Europe. This was to protect the women from the rain. The Yates Thompson Library is Grade II listed. It was built because women were not allowed in the University Library.
Newnham College has many societies. These include clubs for rowing, football, and tennis. As a non-denominational foundation, it does not have its own chapel. Newnham College Boat Club was the university’s first women’s boat club.
Famous alumnae include Emma Thompson, Jane Goodall and Sylvia Plath. Newnham College was featured in Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own as Fernham.
Newnham College remains a scenic and tranquil haven. It exemplifies the pioneering spirit of women’s education in Cambridge. Its gardens and architecture offer a unique glimpse into a college that broke barriers. Newnham College opened doors for women in academia. It continues to inspire generations.