The untold story of how Cambridge University locked up women in their prison - and how the town fought to free them.

Cambridge University is renowned worldwide for its academic prowess, but below the surface lurks a murky past. During the nineteenth century, the university became infamous for its dogged determination to cling to ancient laws allowing it to arrest and imprison unchaperoned women found walking the streets of Cambridge after dark.

Mistakes were made. Violence and legal action followed until finally an Act of Parliament put an end to the university’s jurisdiction over the women of Cambridge.

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A stunning story and an important work. Caroline has single-handed excavated this history of ordinary women detained in extraordinary circumstances by one of the country’s most respected universities. The Spinning House shows how easily freedom can be curtailed on the whim of powerful forces.