Murray Edwards College
The College was founded as ‘New Hall’ in 1954; six years after the University began awarding women degrees. We opened our doors to just 16 students in that first year, who resided in temporary accommodation while funds continued to be raised for a permanent home. This came in 1965, with the opening of our current buildings which were designed by Chamberlain, Powell and Bonn.
We adopted our current name ‘Murray Edwards College’ in 2008, following a donation of £30 million from former student Ros Smith (Mrs Edwards) and her husband Steve Edwards.
The College was founded to welcome all outstanding young women of potential, no matter what their background, to the University of Cambridge – with a mission to provide the best education for female students possible.
More than 60 years later, this remains absolutely at the heart of our existence. We choose to remain a College for women in recognition of the fact that there is still much gender inequality facing women in the world today. Thus there is a need for institutions such as ours which offer the additional focus on women’s education, to make sure our students get the most from Cambridge and, later, to help them meet the challenges of the workplace.
Meeting & Events Space
Murray Edwards College offers a variety of conference and meeting rooms in two dedicated, conference centres, Paula Browne House and Buckingham House, both with large foyers, lecture theatres that seat 140 delegates and flexible meeting and break-out rooms are perfect for conferences and training days and are self-contained on site.
In the heart of the College, up to 22 meeting spaces are available year-round, with our largest space, The Dome, accommodating up to 270 guests for a gala dinner. The college also offers free on-site parking, subject to availability.
Most meeting rooms have integrated AV. Our experienced on-site technician can help with all your AV needs from simple projection to hybrid conferencing. For more complex needs, we have a great relationship with a local agency.
We are proud to hold an AIM Secure Site accreditation. This industry standard provides reassurance and confidence to conference and event organisers. AIM secure in particular measures:
- The quality of our meeting and events facilities
- Commitment to delivering a healthy and hygienic environment
- Service delivery
- Compliance with legislation
- Commitment to diversity and inclusion
Private Dining
From smaller, intimate rooms such as the Council Room, to the light-filled Long Room, to the grand Fellows’ Dining Room, to the cavernous, spectacular Dome – Murray Edwards College has a dining room for every occasion and each one can be set up with AV equipment for presentations and speeches.
Our kitchens are led by Joe Dean who was previously Head Chef at Hotel du Vin. Joe has created stunning new seasonal menus for both fine dining and conference catering. Teri Byrne heads up our Front of House team and her past role as Catering Manager at Newmarket Race Course has given her plenty of experience managing stress-free dining experiences.
Our experienced team will help you plan and enjoy a memorable occasion, whether it is a conference dinner, anniversary celebration, dinner dance, or charity function. Please see our menus page for more detail on the options available.
Bedroom Accommodation
Our comfortable en suite bedrooms are available in Buckingham House (35), Pearl House (105), Paula Browne House (8) and Canning & Eliza House (8).
Many of our en suites overlook our gardens and all feature comfortable beds, toiletries, towels and en suite shower rooms. Pearl House, Buckingham House and Canning & Eliza have 3* Campus Accreditation from Visit England. Situated in beautiful Orchard Court, many of our standard rooms have views of our lovely gardens.
The majority have been recently refurbished and all come with toiletries, in-room refreshments, towels and a sink. Toilets and shower rooms are located on each corridor and there are 2-3 bedrooms per toilet/shower.
Striking Brutalist architecture, a world-renowned art collection, beautiful gardens and a modern, forward-thinking feel makes Murray Edwards College, Cambridge a stimulating environment for your day conference or meeting.
Products and services
Meetings & Events Space
Murray Edwards College, Cambridge has two self-contained conference centres in Paula Browne House and Buckingham House as well as the event space within the central college. See below a snapshot of the spaces we have to offer:
- Paula Brown House Conference Centre
Lecture Theatre 140 delegates in raked fixed seating
Foyer 150 delegates for refreshments and networking
Seminar Rooms 3 smaller meeting rooms (available for use with the Lecture Theatre) each holding a maximum of 20 delegates
Teaching Room 70 delegates theatre style (divides into 2 separate rooms if required)
Conference Room 48 delegates cabaret style
Key Features of Paula Brown House Conference Centre
Free Wi-Fi | Natural Daylight | Exclusive Use Available | Free Car Parking | Fully Accessible
Built in AV consisting of Projector, Screen , Audio Surround Sound, Microphones, Lectern
En-Suite Accommodation (non-term time)
- Buckingham House Conference Centre
Lecture Theatre 140 delegates in raked fixed seating
Foyer 140 delegates for refreshments and networking
Key Features of Buckingham House Conference Centre
Free Wi-Fi | Natural Daylight | Exclusive Use Available | Free Car Parking | Fully Accessible
Built in AV consisting of HD Projector, Screen, Audio Surround Sound Ceiling Speakers, Microphones, Lectern, Sound and HD Visual Recording
En-Suite Accommodation (non-term time)
- Additional Event Space located in the main College
The Dome 300 delegates for a cocktail reception
210 guests for a banquet with dance floor and bar
164 delegates cabaret style
Long Room 180 delegates theatre style | 48 board room
Fellows Suite 70 delegates theatre style | 42 boardroom
Council Room 50 delegates theatre style | 32 board room
Jocelyn Bell Burnell 24 delegates theatre style | 14 board room
Key Features
Free Wi-Fi | Natural Daylight | Free Car Parking | Fully Accessible
Built in AV consisting of Projector, Screen