Newnham is a suburb and

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, England. As of the 2021 UK census, the ward had a population of 11,374.

History

The early hamlet of Newnham was situated on the west bank of the

River Cam The River Cam () is the main river flowing through Cambridge in eastern England. After leaving Cambridge, it flows north and east before joining the River Great Ouse to the south of Ely, Cambridgeshire, Ely, at Pope's Corner. The total distanc ...

, on an island of permanently dry land. The surrounding land was liable to flooding, particularly during the winter months. A permanent cut of the river leads to the Newnham watermill, which predated the Norman conquest of 1066, and is mentioned in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086. The hamlet was linked to the town of Cambridge by a series of small bridges and fords over the various channels of the River Cam. A road led to the nearby village of

Grantchester Grantchester () is a village and civil parish on the River Cam or Granta (river), Granta in South Cambridgeshire, England. It lies about south of Cambridge. Name The village of Grantchester is listed in the 1086 Domesday Book as ''Granteset ...

. In 1256, the

Carmelite The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

order of monks established a convent in Newnham, with a church, cloister, dormitory and other buildings. Over the next 50 years, the order gradually moved from a contemplative tradition to more interactive religious practices. This, along with the fact that the convent was frequently cut off from Cambridge by winter flooding, led the order to move to Cambridge in 1292. In the late 19th century, after the

enclosure Enclosure or inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or "common land", enclosing it, and by doing so depriving commoners of their traditional rights of access and usage. Agreements to enc ...

of the Cambridge fields, Newnham Croft was constructed – a middle-class suburb located partly within the Cambridge town boundary, and partly within the parish of Grantchester. In 1870, a church was built to serve the growing community. Initially, St Mark's Church on Barton Road ( A603) was a daughter church to the parish of Grantchester. Newnham Croft was incorporated into the borough of Cambridge in 1911; Newnham was created as a separate parish in 1918. It is served by Newnham Croft Primary School. From 1885, Sir George Darwin (son of

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

) lived in Newnham Grange (built in 1793), where he raised his children (including Sir Charles Darwin and Gwen Raverat). After the death of Sir Charles, son of Sir George, the building was acquired by the newly founded Darwin College. The modern council ward of Newnham covers much of the west of the city. Several

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

colleges are situated in this ward, including Newnham, Wolfson, Robinson, Selwyn and Darwin. Newnham has become one of the most affluent areas of Cambridge and has featured highly in some national quality of life surveys.Newnham, Hemingford Abbots and Saffron Walden among best places in UK to live, Sunday Times says
Newnham also has the lowest violent crime rates in the city, se

/ref> Newnham includes Grantchester Meadows and Lammas Land, a recreation ground and playground.

Councillors

Members of Cambridge City Council for Newnham ward have included: * Ruth Cohen (economist), former Principal of Newnham College *

Robert Edwards (physiologist) Sir Robert Geoffrey Edwards (27 September 1925 – 10 April 2013) was a British physiologist and pioneer in reproductive medicine, and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in particular. Along with obstetrician and gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe an ...

, Nobel Prize winner * Lucy Nethsingha, MEP * Wendy Nicol, Baroness Nicol * Julie Smith, Baroness Smith of Newnham

References

External links

St Mark's Church, NewnhamCambridge City Council
{{Cambridge electoral wards Wards of Cambridge History of Cambridge