The Spinning House How Cambridge University locked up women in its private prison

Cambridge University is renowned worldwide for its academic prowess, but below the surface lurks a murky past. During the nineteenth century it became infamous for its dogged determination to cling to ancient laws allowing them to arrest and imprison any women found walking the streets of Cambridge after dark. Mistakes were made. Violence and legal action followed until finally an Act of Parliament put on end to the jurisdiction of the university over the women of Cambridge.

Caroline Biggs has lived all her life in Cambridge. She was an active Trustee of The Museum of Cambridge, where she founded a history festival to redress the massive imbalance between the historical knowledge about the ‘town’ as opposed to the ‘gown’. She has a Diploma in Creative Writing from the University of Cambridge and an MA in Biography and Creative Non-Fiction from UEA. She has previously researched and written several booklets about the history of Cambridge.