Peile Hall

From the gentle curve of its ship-like windows to the warm embrace of its red brick walls, Peile Hall at Newnham College stands as a testament to a time of transformation. Peile Hall was completed in 1910. It was designed by Basil Champneys, Newnham’s architect for almost forty years. He shaped the college’s aesthetic from 1873 to 1913, creating a harmonious blend of Queen Anne style with its surroundings. Peile Hall is a key part of that legacy. The hall is named after Annette and John Peile. John served as Newnham’s president. Annette played a crucial role in establishing correspondence courses. These courses allowed women who couldn’t physically attend Cambridge to pursue their education. Virginia Woolf herself, in “A Room of One’s Own,” captured the essence of Newnham’s beauty. She described the gardens in spring twilight, “wild and open,” with daffodils and bluebells scattered across the grass. Her words perfectly depict the windows of Peile Hall, “curved like ships’ windows among generous waves of red brick.” They “changed from lemon to silver under the flight of the quick spring clouds.” Peile Hall is more than just bricks and mortar. It stands as a symbol of access to education and the power of perseverance. It echoes the spirit of the college’s founders. They believed in the intellectual capacity of women and fought for their right to learn.