Our programme is based in the extensive and beautiful grounds of Girton College, one of the 31 Colleges of the University of Cambridge. The College was founded in 1869 by Miss Emily Davies as the first University College for women. For reasons of Victorian respectability, the College was located two miles north of the town centre to discourage marauding male undergraduates! It now admits male and female undergraduates and is the third largest College in Cambridge in terms of student numbers.

Girton has the most impressive onsite grounds (40 acres of them!) of any College and is also the only College with an indoor swimming pool. You can read more about the College at www.girton.cam.ac.uk.

The following can be viewed in full at:

http://www.girton.cam.ac.uk/about/history/brief.html

In 1866 Miss Emily Davies and others interested in the higher education of women initiated a scheme for founding by public subscription a college for women designed to hold, in relation to girls' schools and home teaching, a position analogous to that occupied by the Universities towards the public schools for boys. On 16 October 1869, the College was opened at Benslow House, Hitchin, under the name of the College for Women. In 1872 the present site was purchased, and the College was renamed Girton college: the removal to the new buildings took place in October 1873.

Under Statutes approved by the Regent House on 6 December 1947, and by H.M. the King in Council on 27 April 1948, women were admitted to full membership of the University of Cambridge, and Girton College received the status of a College of the University.

Men have been Fellows since 1977, and male undergraduates have been admitted since 1979. The equal balance between the numbers of men and women in both Fellowship and students is matched by no other College.

Girton is a perfect venue for Reach Cambridge’s base.

• Bedrooms - Rooms are singles or doubles. All bedrooms have a wardrobe, chest of drawers and large windows and most have a basin. Rooms are attended to daily by the College’s ‘bedders’ (the traditional term for a maid) and sheets are changed weekly.
• Classrooms - These are all onsite within the Girton Campus. In the good summer weather we also take every opportunity to study in the College grounds.
• Sports facilities - With over 40 acres of land onsite, Girton is well equipped for all kinds of sports. The Athletics Fields cater for Soccer, Netball, Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee and other such team sports as well as a basketball court and all weather tennis courts. There are even facilities for our students to try traditional English sports such as cricket, lawn tennis and croquet. Inside there is a gym, a squash court and a swimming pool.
• Computer facilities - We have a designated computer room that is open 24hrs a day for students to check email and surf the web.
• Other facilities - There is a student common room with coffee machine, table tennis table, pool table, drinks machines, TV and video.