Newnham College, Cambridge

28/05/2026

🎭🌿 New Student Theatre Society Presents The Ash Tree

We are so excited to share this one! This year, a group of Newnham students launched NESST (Newnham Site-Specific Theatre) - a new drama society creating original promenade shows in our beautiful College gardens. Their work draws on the ecology and landscape history of Newnham, Cambridgeshire, and the fens 🌾

About the show:
Set in a drought-stricken fenland where marshes are draining, The Ash Tree follows wandering musicians, strange encounters, and a touch of magic - where cups refill, platters multiply, and crumbs become feasts. Inspired by Ovid’s tale of Baucis and Philemon, it’s reimagined as a roaming folk-play about the origins of the Granta and the trees of Newnham Gardens.

Expect storytelling, movement, puppetry, and a live, original folk-infused score (with a hint of blues!) 🎶

📍 Newnham College Gardens
🗓️ Sat 20 June, 6:30pm
🗓️ Sun 21 June, 6:30pm
🗓️ Mon 22 June, 5:30pm

They’re hoping this May Week production becomes a new annual tradition so let’s support them - this could be the start of something really special 🌟

Booking link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nesst-presents-the-ash-tree-tickets-1990223398761?aff=oddtdtcreator

28/05/2026

🌹 History in Bloom 🌹

Is still a thing? I'm going with it so I can share this...

Our Rose Garden has recently been renovated, with new edging carefully installed throughout. To ensure the work stayed true to its heritage, Jonathan Dunlop from our garden team collaborated with Archivist Frieda Midgley, consulting the original designs.

In the process, Frieda uncovered early photographs showing that the garden’s original layout may have incorporated an existing tree - since removed. This suggests that the 1906 Powell plan accurately reflects the garden as it was first built, including the sunken design we still enjoy today.

Blooming marvellous! ✨

22/05/2026

Congratulations to all our wonderful postgraduate students graduating today in this glorious sunshine!

We hope you enjoy a magical day with your friends, colleagues and loved ones.

We can't wait to hear what you do next

🍾🌞🎉👩‍🎓

20/05/2026

Some beautiful visitors to College today. Six beautiful rare breed goats visited to offer a much-needed break from study. Students were able to walk the Golden Guernseys round the sports field in what was a wonderful interlude during a busy term. And they only nibbled a few of the flowers.

20/05/2026

Our Finance Tutor and Fellow Sam Lucy shares here lots of helpful information about financial support available for students

14/05/2026

In honour of earlier this week, we wanted to share these objects from our Mathematical Models from the Newnham College Collection. Given to the College in 1925 by Margaret Annie Graves (NC 1893).

Can you guess what these are and how they were used?

(I'll post in the comments tomorrow but would love to hear your guesses first!)

12/05/2026

A lovely piece in the Guardian this week featuring the work of Dr Kate Noble at the Fitzwilliam Museum, who is a member of Newnham’s high table. Kate is assistant research professor in museum participation and practice and the museum’s monthly family-friendly drop-ins were born out of research by her and former colleague Nicola Wallis. “If you weren’t brought to a museum as a child, it can be really intimidating to do that as a parent,” Noble says. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/may/11/toddler-ceramics-fitzwilliam-museum-cambridge-family-friendly

11/05/2026

The Cambridge Society of London are pleased to invite Newnham alumnae to join them on 4th June for an evening talk with the BBC's Tom Heap at the RAF Club in Piccadilly. The talk - Power to the People… Ending the Reign of Fire - will explore energy, climate, geopolitics and the changing nature of power in what promises to be a timely and thought-provoking discussion.

There will be drinks, conversation and informal networking beforehand and afterwards with your fellow University of Cambridge alumni. Tickets are £13 and full details can be found here:

Thursday, 4th June 2026 CamSocTalks – Power to the People…Ending the reign of Fire Fire is the friend that betrayed us. As the ‘fire ape’, flames delivered cooking for more nutritious food, feeding bigger brains and the time to think, not just graze. It then gave us smelting, iron, weapons, ...

01/05/2026

Badgers – bothersome or brilliant? Love them or loathe them, you can’t deny this is a handsome pair who had been happily sunbathing until the moment of their discovery by our keen-eyed Archivist Frieda Midgley. 🦡🦡

30/04/2026

Introducing our School of Focus Fish

🐠Study Sturgeon

🐟Homework Haddock

🐡Co-Study Cod

They've only gone and done it again! I love our Library Team and this latest project to welcome back students with some crocheted companions just makes my heart sing. Students are free to take one of these study buddies to their desk to help them work, but must not remove them from their natural habitat ⚓️

30/04/2026

The new term has sprung, and so has the College: blossoms everywhere, bees on duty, birds providing the soundtrack, and the return of al fresco dining. Simply bloomin’ marvellous. ☀️🌺🌸🌴🌱🐝🐦‍⬛🥪🧃
With a busy and sometimes stressful term ahead, let’s pause for a moment to enjoy our beautiful surroundings - and look forward to the many good things to come.