Girton Medieval

Welcome to Girton Medieval! This is a brand new interdisciplinary hub for students and Fellows working on the Middle Ages at Girton College, one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. This site is a work in progress and subject to change.

While maybe not founded in the medieval period, Girton is a perfect place to study the Middle Ages. Based in picturesque grounds within a Domesday Book village on the edge of Cambridge, the College has a proud history of groundbreaking medieval research, particularly by pioneering women in the early decades after Girton’s 1869 foundation as the UK’s first residential institution offering university-level education for women (see more here).

Today, Girton is a vibrant coeducational environment with particular strength in Medieval Studies. Across the University’s range of Departments and Faculties, Girton Fellows are on the cutting edge of medieval research and making headlines, from Anthony Bale’s (English) bestselling A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages to Emma Brownlee’s (Archaeology) new framework for burials in early medieval Britain. Major breakthroughs have resulted from collaboration between Girton medievalists across disciplinary lines, such as Seb Falk (History of Science) and James Wade (English) making international news in 2025 by together forming a solution to one of the most persistent puzzles in the writings of Chaucer. Across a wide range of subjects, Girton undergraduates and postgraduates are engaging with the Medieval World with supervision from renowned experts.

The goals of Girton Medieval are to:

• Connect Girton medievalists and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration
• Communicate ongoing Girtonian excellence in medieval research
• Advance Girton as a leader in Medieval Studies education across Cambridge

Check out this site’s pages to learn more about: News and Announcements from the Girton Medieval community, Medievalists currently associated with the College, coming to Girton for a degree in medieval subjects as prospective students, Girton College and Village’s medieval heritage, and more!

Girton Medieval is supported by the Girton College New Initiatives Fund, and is part of a wider network which is seeking to connect interdisciplinary Cambridge Medieval Studies across the University.

For more on our plans for Girton Medieval, see our launch announcement.