Porters' Lodge

When you arrive, please come into the Porters’ Lodge (main entrance) where the duty porter will welcome you to the College, confirm your details and room (if you have accommodation within the College), then hand over your University card which is also programmed as the access card for your room.   

They may then pass you over to our student ambassadors who are on hand to show you where your room is or answer any immediate questions you may have. 

Many students decide to bring a bike to Cambridge as many places in the city are a short bike ride away, including the city itself, the lecture halls and faculties.  

If you bring a bike to Cambridge you should also bring a helmet and a good lock to secure not only the frame but also the wheels, to something solid and immovable, whether that is in our main bike shed, one of the many bike parking areas we have on site, or those in the city.  

When you arrive, if you ask the porter, they will advise you of the bike parking area closest to your room and help you register the bike and get a tag to show it is authorised.   

Should you find that you have minor bike niggles, a flat tyre or a sticky lock, the Porters have a small selection of tools, a bike pump and some multi-purpose lubricant oil they can lend you.   

The College operates an annual clearing process for abandoned or left behind bikes, so to avoid accidental removal of yours, you should register your bike with the College as soon as possible, via the link here. 

Unfortunately as a rule, no.  Due to the number of students in Cambridge, you must have good reason to seek permission from the University Motor Proctor and Marshal’s Office, and have your application granted.   

The details of that application process can be found on the Motor Proctor and Marshal’s Office website but being granted a permit by them does not also grant you parking rights at Newnham College. 

Your University card not only acts as a University identity and room access card, it also enables you to log onto the relevant photocopier/printers for your work, make payments at the Buttery (College servery) and at the Iris café, where if topped up, members currently enjoy 25% off normal prices. 

Due to the access this card gives to member only areas, it is your responsibility to make sure it is kept safe and only you have use of it. 

If you misplace this card, please let the porters know as soon as possible, so we can prevent it from  being used by someone else and issue you with a spare.  This spare card will give you all your normal access but not the ability to print, pay for dinning or get Iris café discounts.  Then please email the Tutorial & Academic Office who will cancel your old card and organise a permanent replacement. 

The College does not permit fridge freezers or personal heaters unless in exceptional circumstance. This is for fire safety reasons so please do not bring or order for delivery either of these. You also cannot cook or make toast in your room. 

You are permitted to bring personal electrical appliances such as a hairdryer. To make sure all items are safe, the College arranges a Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) scheme so please keep your eyes open for emails about that. 

The College also does not permit candles, incense burners or anything with a naked flame, wick or smoking element in your rooms. 

Post is delivered to the Porters Lodge daily.  Letters are placed in your personal pigeonhole and parcels registered, then the addressee notified.  We understand most delivery services will let you know when a parcel has been delivered but please wait until you hear from us, before collecting. 

Some items may require a code on delivery. Unfortunately, if we have not received that code from you before delivery, the delivery agent will not leave your item with us.      

Personal post cannot be sent via the Porters Lodge but items can be left with us for courier collection.     

You can receive post at the following address: 

Your full Name, Newnham College, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge. CB3 9DF 

Your respective College Halls have laundry rooms to which you will have access between the hours of 6am and 10pm. These are marked on the College map with the letter L. They are free to use but you must supply your own washing products.

You can, although you must be present to receive them from the delivery agent.  No food deliveries will be accepted by the duty porter, or allowed to be left. 

The exceptions are the addressed ingredient food services such as Gousto, Hello Fresh etc. 

The Porters Lodge is staffed 24/7 and all College porters are first aid trained, for minor injuries, allergic reactions and more. If you require emergency medical assistance, call 999. If you are in College then inform the Porters of the situation so that they can direct the emergency services as needed. If you are unwell in College and need to go to Accident and Emergency, you can also inform the Porters and they can arrange a taxi there and back.   

The College Nurse, Julie Barker can be contacted at nurse@newn.cam.ac.uk. She is available in College every day in term time. Her hours are more restricted outside term time. You can find out more on our Health and wellbeing page.

You may have a single guest stay over in your room but they must first be signed in at the Porters Lodge.  Your guest can only stay over for three nights in any seven day period (the first staying night being day one of the seven day period).  

Please note that you as the host, are responsible for your guests behaviour, so be mindful that the  accommodation areas such as kitchens, toilets and bathrooms are shared areas, where others may feel uncomfortable if guests are unaccompanied or behave poorly. 

Newnham College is approximately 10-15 minutes walk from the centre of Cambridge, with most city locations within a 15-20 minute bike ride.

For any IT related issues or questions, please first contact the IT Helpdesk on helpdesk@newn.cam.ac.uk