Darwin College

Darwin College stands on the banks of the River Cam in Cambridge, occupying land once owned by the Darwin family. The college occupies Newnham Grange, a Georgian house built in 1793 and remodelled by George Darwin in the 19th century. Two islands in the Cam are linked to the college by the Darwin College Bridges, giving the site a distinctive riverside setting. The college was founded in 1964 as Cambridge’s first graduate-only college and the first to admit both men and women. It now houses between 650 and 800 postgraduate students, mostly reading for PhDs or MPhils in sciences, humanities and law. The college is worth visiting for its architecture and its place in academic history. Its buildings combine Georgian and Victorian styles with modern additions such as the 1994 library of green oak and lime mortar. The Darwin Lecture Series has run for more than twenty-five years, drawing leading authorities like Sir Walter Bodmer and David Olusoga. Notable alumni include Nobel laureates Elizabeth Blackburn, Eric Maskin and John Clarke, alongside conservationists Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey. The college’s May Balls are a highlight of Cambridge’s social calendar, and in 2023 it became the first to stage a fully plant-based ball. Visitors find a riverside college of quiet courts and gardens, with family portraits of the Darwins on display. The 24-hour library overlooks the Cam, and students enjoy extensive punting along the river. The Malting House, once home to a radical 1920s school, now provides student accommodation. Formal dinners and college societies add to daily life, while the bridges and islands create a secluded atmosphere within the city.