Lancaster Student Guide
The city of Lancaster can be found within the county of Lancashire and has a student population of over 15,000.
Nightlife
There are a number of pubs and clubs scattered around the city, many of which provide for students with cheap drink offers.
The Sugarhouse is a student only nightclub run by Lancaster University’s Student Union. The club has a capacity of over 1300 and is spread over 2 rooms. The Front Room plays contemporary R&B music as well as classic anthems, while the Main Room plays chart favourites and indie anthems.
With cheap Jagerbombs, the Sugarhut will have you dancing the night away. The Dalton Rooms is a bar and restaurant in the city centre. The food is reasonable priced and offers a menu of ‘pub grub’ classics. The venue also hosts jazz, comedy and dance nights, so check their website so as not to miss out.
Top Things to Do
History buffs should check out Lancaster City Museum on Market Square. The museum is situated in the former Town Hall and has impressive collections, which illustrate the history and archaeology of Lancaster and the surrounding area. The exhibits start from the Neolithic age and continue up until the present day. Lancaster City Museum has recently been named a Quality Assured Visitor Attraction by Enjoy England. Best of all, admission is free!
Lancaster residents should take advantage of the city’s location; Yorkshire Dales National Park is located around 20 miles from the city centre and offers peace and tranquillity in unspoilt natural surroundings.
The coastal limestone pavements and salt marshes at Morecambe Bay should not be missed and the area can be explored by bike, on foot or by the water. There are a number of designated walking and cycling routes through the surrounding countryside, which make for an excellent day out, especially when combined with a picnic on the way.
Where Can I Study?
Lancaster is home to two universities: Lancaster University and a campus from the University of Cumbria.
Lancaster University is the largest university in the city and provides places of study to over 12,000 students every year. The university is divided into four faculties: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The School of Health and Medicine, The Faculty of Science and Technology, and The Faculty of Management.
The main campus at Lancaster University is the Bailrigg campus, 3 miles from the city centre. Bailrigg covers an area of 200 acres and sits on a hilltop in landscaped parkland. The campus is designed to integrate social, residential and teaching areas and encourage social interactions between students. The university expanded the campus in 1998 to form South-west Campus, which sits on the lower slopes of Bailrigg.
Every summer, Lancaster University meets with the University of York to compete in The Roses Tournament. The name comes from ‘The War of the Roses’, the 15th Century civil war between Lancaster and York. Both universities compete in a vast range of sports including rugby, basketball, hockey, archery and tae kwon do.
Lancaster University has a reputation for academic excellence and consistently performs well in the national and international league tables. In 2012, The Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed Lancaster University 131st in the world’s top 400 universities. In the same year, the university was positioned 9th in The Complete University Guide’s national league tables.
The University of Cumbria is based mainly in Cumbria. However, the university has campuses in Lancaster, Ambleside, Barrow-in-Furness, Penrith and London. Facilities at the Lancaster campus include a multi-purpose sports hall, fitness suite, Student Union offices and a bar.
Should I Study in Lancaster?
A student’s honest opinion:
“When I first came to Lancaster, I thought it was a big concrete jungle! But I’ve really come to like it. Plus the fact that the surrounding countryside makes up for it!
In terms of going out, there’s so many student nights for every taste, and the clubs aren’t as bad as the locals make them out to be.
I come from a small village so it’s really cool coming to Lancaster and seeing the diversity of lots of different nationalities and people from all over the UK too. There’s a real sense of community here and I still have another year left to enjoy my time here.” Jonathan, 20