More buildings at Cambridge University’s first college to admit both men and women have been granted listed status, affording them protection.
The Dining Hall and the Rayne Building at Darwin College have both been listed at Grade II by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England.
A detached townhouse bought from descendants of Charles Darwin in 1962 and a neighbouring house bought from St John’s College in 1966 were both already listed at Grade II, since 1972.
Darwin College was founded in 1964 and was Cambridge University’s first College exclusively for postgraduate students, as well as the first Cambridge college to admit both men and women.
The detached townhouse Newnham Grange and the Old Granary were purchased from the Darwin family, descendants of Charles Darwin, in 1962.
A neighbouring house, The Hermitage, was sold by St John’s College to Darwin in 1966, and was adapted as kitchens, offices, common rooms and a small dining room.
The Dining Hall and the Rayne Building, which have now been listed at Grade II, were designed in 1965-7 and built in 1967-9.
They were created to provide a gatehouse, graduate accommodation, and a dining hall for Darwin College.
Architectural firm Howell, Killick, Partridge and Amis (HKPA), renowned for their designs of post-war university buildings, designed them to blend unobtrusively with the existing historic buildings on site.
The Rayne Building provided a gatehouse to the new College, an accommodation block of 34 study bedrooms and an internal link between Newnham Grange and the Hermitage.
The first-floor Dining Hall is raised on reinforced concrete stilts above an open car park, with a shuttered concrete finish.
On the garden side, an elegant spiral stair descends to the gardens on the river.
The interior of the octagonal dining hall features a natural pine ceiling resting on reinforced concrete beams and is bathed in natural light by an octagonal lantern, roof lights and slit windows.
The scheme achieved a Civic Trust commendation in 1971.
Newnham Grange and the Hermitage, each previously listed at Grade II in 1972, have both been relisted with additional information to better explain their history.
John Dix, bursar, Darwin College, said: “We are pleased that the sympathetic design of the buildings, and the sense of cohesion they create within the College, has been recognised in this way.
“While the historic significance and aesthetic appeal of Newnham Grange and the Hermitage have long been recognised, the Dining Hall and the Rayne Building are more than simply filler.
“They are fine modern buildings central to much of Darwin’s life as a College, and a worthy reflection of the ambitions of the College’s founders.”
Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: “Darwin College’s sympathetic fusion of old and new is a key part of the post-war evolution of the ancient University of Cambridge.
“I am delighted that these accomplished buildings have been listed in time for the 60th anniversary of the College’s foundation.
“This status will ensure that they are protected and can continue to nurture and inspire exceptional graduate minds for generations to come.”
Duncan Wilson, chief executive, Historic England said the buildings are a “striking addition to Darwin College, blending beautifully with the historic buildings at the college”.
