Kingston University’s Halls of Residence – An Accommodation Guide

Staying in a university’s halls of residence is one of the best parts of the uni experience – it’s a great opportunity to make new friends, learn how to live away from home and (hopefully) gain the skills to make an edible meal or two! Whilst halls in central London can be rather expensive, luckily Kingston University has lots of affordable and convenient options, which I’ll outline here for you. 😊

Clayhill
At 715 rooms, Clayhill is without a doubt one of Kingston’s largest halls of residence. Located only a short distance away from Kingston’s town centre in Surbiton, free KU buses regularly run to and from the campus to transport students to class. Kitchens are shared between four students, and each bedroom comes with an en-suite bathroom as well as access to 24-hr security, a common room, fast WiFi and a laundrette. For 2023 entry, a standard en-suite room costs £163 a week, with several rooms for students with additional needs also available. Clayhill also regularly host events or get-togethers for students staying there, which is a great way for freshers to meet people in their hall and settle into a new environment.

Personally, I’d recommend Clayhill to any students studying at the Knight’s Park or Penrhyn Road campus, as both campuses are only a twenty minute walk away. However, if you enjoy a bit more of a chill morning commute, the Kingston Hill and Roehampton Vale campuses are only 35-40 minutes away on the free intersite bus.

Chancellors Hall
Recently refurbished with an updated, modern design, Chancellors Hall contains 280 en-suite rooms and is only a two minute walk from the Kingston Hill campus. Unlike Clayhill, there are several different room types, including the affordable en-suite (£169 a week) and the premium en-suite (£203 a week). Kitchens are shared between 5-18 students (with larger kitchens for more students), and also has a laundrette, 24-hr security and fast WiFi access with disability-adapted rooms available.

Honestly, my favourite part about Chancellors Hall is how close it is to the Kingston Hill campus – your lectures are literally just on your doorstep, so you can have a few lazy mornings! However, it’s also close to the Roehampton Vale campus (15 minutes on KU bus) and is certainly one worth looking into if you’re studying at those two.

Middle Mill
Now onto the hall closest to where I study – Middle Mill! Located right in the heart of the Knight’s Park campus, Middle Mill has 204 bedrooms and is only a 15 minute walk from the Kingston town centre. Bathrooms and kitchens are shared between 3-8 students depending on the size of the flat, and several disability adapted rooms, WiFi access, a laundrette and 24-hr security are all available. Although Middle Mill isn’t an en-suite hall like the previous two, each room does contain a hand basin, so if you’re a KSA student who spends their nights painting or drawing you’ll be easily able to clean your hands or any art supplies. Rooms are £169 a week, and the location is great for both KSA students (a two minute walk, if even) and Penrhyn Road students (10 minute walk).

From my own experience, Middle Mill has a great atmosphere – its mix of scenery (especially with the Hogsmill River running through it), green spaces and facilities means students can often be seen outside the hall chatting or just hanging out. The close location to the Kingston town centre also gives you great supermarket access, and makes it super easy to get into central London if you fancy a day out on the weekend.

Seething Wells
Close to both the Clayhill Halls and Surbiton town centre, the newly refurbished Seething Wells has 886 rooms in total, with seven different room types. These range from the micro en-suite (£120 a week with a kitchen shared between 5-6 students), the standard en-suite (£194 a week) and the premium en-suite (£216 a week). Disability adapted rooms are available, as are the typical laundrette, security and WiFi facilities. Similar to Clayhill, Seething Wells is a solid choice for anyone studying at Knight’s Park or Penrhyn Road, with only a roughly 20-30 minute walk to campus and regular buses.

Although slightly more removed from the Kingston area, the close proximity to Surbiton station allows quick access to central London whilst also giving students a chance to live in a leafy, suburban area in their downtime. The large amount of students staying there also means the Seething Wells team often host events – so it’s a great hall for any extroverts wanting to mingle with a lot of different students!

Walkden Hall
Last but not least, with 163 refurbished rooms, Walkden Hall is the smallest hall on campus, and is also located right next to the Kingston Hill campus. At £192 a week, students have an en-suite room with a small double bed and shared kitchen facilities between 8-10 individuals, as well as fast WiFi, a laundrette and security. Although Walkden Hall doesn’t have a common room, the student bar is available only two minutes away and acts as a fantastic social space for residents. Disability adapted rooms are available for hearing impaired students, and the hall is only 15 minutes away on the KU bus from Roehampton Vale as well.

Whilst I’ve never personally stayed there, I’ve heard glowing recommendations about it from friends – the rooms are spacious with a lot of storage options, and the small double bed is definitely a step-up from the usual single bed available in halls!

I hope this guide was helpful, and if anyone has any further questions, please pop them down below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. :biggrin: