Block: Cryfield 1
Summary: cheap and cheerful! some kitchens are new, some old, but they are slowly being re-done. I have never had a problem sharing bathrooms, we have 5 loos, 2 showers and 3 shower/bath combos for 23 people which is plenty. Also never had problems with food being stolen.
Pros: Cheap!! being the only non-ensuite, 30 week let means it works out about 500£ a year cheaper than the next cheapest option. As a result of this there are far fewer snobby people than some (though not all) I have met who live in JM. We arent all cheapskates, we go out plenty but not ridiculous amounts and dont tend to spend money willy-nilly. I have never had to wait for the loo or shower and theyre cleaned every day. Although it looks far out, its actually really close to the SU, costcutters etc, and its no further to gibbet hill than any of the others really (other than rootes), just in a diff direction. Its separated from central campus not by distance but by a road, which tends to mean its a quieter area at night. Also the burger van is en route to cryfield after a night out, rather than a trek in the opposite direction if you live in the JM/AV area! There is a separate launderette in the very near vicinity as well. I have never had any food stolen, despite the lack of locks in the kitchen. There are common rooms on the ground floor of each building, which only tend to be used by the people on that floor, but then their kitchens are a bit smaller i think (altho less people to a kitchen, as there are 3 rather than 2 for slightly more people, so i guess it balances).
Cons: Its not ensuite, although personally i dont find this a problem at all. The rooms are small, about two thirds the size of westwood rooms, although theyre huge! I can fit all my stuff in fine, the people surrounding me have a lott more stuff than i do and they manage too. if you plan to bring a keyboard or anything similar then id opt for somewhere slightly larger but otherwise its not a problem, extra space is just a bonus! The corridors are narrow, slightly prison-like i guess, but i like it as theyre very straight and long so you can be nosy and see all the way down! The kitchens and bathrooms are in the middle so not too far away. Your rooms dont get cleaned, which i guess is a con, but i dont mind this at all as it means the cleaners dont wake me up!! Theres a vacuum available for use.
Photos: none sorry