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Rural/countryside universities

Hi I am trying to find a Uni that is rural/small green town in england or wales (as scotland is too far), Im unsure of what i want to study so im open to all Universities. I'm into all things: hiking, running, horse riding, picnics. ( I have been doing lots of research and am happy to do more but id be really keen to just know what everyone thinks)
Thankyou so much! Don't be scared to respond open to all ideas :smile:
Original post
by Lucy.r9
Hi I am trying to find a Uni that is rural/small green town in england or wales (as scotland is too far), Im unsure of what i want to study so im open to all Universities. I'm into all things: hiking, running, horse riding, picnics. ( I have been doing lots of research and am happy to do more but id be really keen to just know what everyone thinks)
Thankyou so much! Don't be scared to respond open to all ideas :smile:

Hi,

It’s technically a city but Lancaster is incredibly rural and is smaller than a lot of towns. It is surrounded by fields and lots of green spaces. The university is also outside of the city, confined in its own space with lots of on campus accommodation if you don’t want to live in the actual town.

It’s in the north west of England just below the Lake District so there’s also very easy train access to some beautiful locations.

I’ve been here for four years and I can say confidently that I’ve never ran out of new forested areas or grasslands to walk around inbetween my studies!

Thanks for reading,
Dom, Lancaster Uni Rep

Reply 2

Original post
by Lucy.r9
Hi I am trying to find a Uni that is rural/small green town in england or wales (as scotland is too far), Im unsure of what i want to study so im open to all Universities. I'm into all things: hiking, running, horse riding, picnics. ( I have been doing lots of research and am happy to do more but id be really keen to just know what everyone thinks)
Thankyou so much! Don't be scared to respond open to all ideas :smile:

Not too sure about many places fitting this description but I did visit keele uni and it's literally next to a farm!
Some of the student accommodation overlooks cow fields etc. so that's definitely a rural/village feel.

Check out places like St Andrews as well or Aberystwyth.

Reply 3

Original post
by Lucy.r9
Hi I am trying to find a Uni that is rural/small green town in england or wales (as scotland is too far), Im unsure of what i want to study so im open to all Universities. I'm into all things: hiking, running, horse riding, picnics. ( I have been doing lots of research and am happy to do more but id be really keen to just know what everyone thinks)
Thankyou so much! Don't be scared to respond open to all ideas :smile:

Hi Lucy!

I have recently graduated from UCLan and couldn't recommend it more. Preston has many forested/green areas including Avenham Park, which is great for picnics and socialising. Preston also has great access to the Lake District and is close to the Brockholes Nature Reserve, which is home to many species of wild life.

Preston is a city however, there are many rural areas and is smaller than other cities. This makes UCLan a perfect balance between the urban and rural lifestyle you are looking for when choosing a university. Here is a link to find out more: Explore the outdoors - UCLan 😊

I love walking and exploring nature whenever I can, which I had plenty of options to do so at UCLan. Essential to unwind between uni work!

Hope this helps 😊
Jakub - Fashion promotion and marketing graduate.
Depends a bit on how close you want these amenities to be and how you define "rural" so much, but bearing in mind that most universities will be in or near cities for practical purposes you're probably going to need to be thinking more about green spaces available in the cities, and nearby areas that you can do those kinds of activities in.

In that context you might want to consider Cambridge (as a city - it has two unis :smile: Allegedly 3 but I've yet to figure out what the third one is...?), which has lots of green spaces throughout the city, or Southampton (the campus has a fair bit of greenery on it, and the New Forest is very close for some real nature-y walking around opportunities if you can find a way to get there and back :biggrin: ).
Original post
by Lucy.r9
Hi I am trying to find a Uni that is rural/small green town in england or wales (as scotland is too far), Im unsure of what i want to study so im open to all Universities. I'm into all things: hiking, running, horse riding, picnics. ( I have been doing lots of research and am happy to do more but id be really keen to just know what everyone thinks)
Thankyou so much! Don't be scared to respond open to all ideas :smile:

Hello,

I currently study at Lancaster University, and I personally believe Lancaster University fits the profile you have described. The expansive green space is perhaps our most prominent physical feature. There is also a 2.6 mile strech of trim trail for excersices, running or a casual stroll at our university. We also have multiple green spaces/fields that our students ofen have picnics on, usually during the warmer weather.

I will attach a couple of links for you to view at your own leisure, they will show you much more than I can describe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfpsuFz0tdk
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/users/ext-rel/press/LU%20Text/Letter-obits-extras/Woodland-Walks-Trim-Trail-Leaflet.pdf

Chiemela (Lancaster University Student Ambassador)

Reply 6

Hi! Yeh i completely understand, Im more than happy to be in like a town or vilage however i would like to quite easily access nature I wont be bringing a car to uni so If it is in a city/town it would need to be a walkable distance like no more than 20-30 mins or public transport from nature places , ill definitely look at cambridge, I like the look of southampton however it is too busy and city like for me, Thankyou so much for your responses. I will also be looking at lancaster i like the whole collegiate and close knit vibe and how close it is to the lake district so definitely an option 🙂 Also adore the look of keele definetly checks a lot of my boxes! Thankyou for suggestions everyone they are great!
(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 7

If you was doing geography, environmental studies, zoology, zoo biology, Nottingham trents brackenhurst campus is very rural. Its got a stables where people can keep their horses (obviously not free), but its close to the town of southall and 40 mins to Nottingham trent unis city campus on the bus.
Original post
by Lucy.r9
Hi I am trying to find a Uni that is rural/small green town in england or wales (as scotland is too far), Im unsure of what i want to study so im open to all Universities. I'm into all things: hiking, running, horse riding, picnics. ( I have been doing lots of research and am happy to do more but id be really keen to just know what everyone thinks)
Thankyou so much! Don't be scared to respond open to all ideas :smile:

Hi there!

If you are interested in more academic courses such as English or Business, Liverpool Hope's Hope Park campus is located in the leafy suburbs of Childwall, 4 miles out of the City Centre. There are lots of outside spaces minutes away from the university's campus including the Childwall Woods and Calderstones Park.

If you are interested in more vocational courses such as Veterinary Nursing or Animal Science, Harper Adams University is located in Shropshire and they specialise in agriculture and the rural sector. Because of your interest in horse riding, courses at Harper Adams might be well suited to you and they are based in an rural area.

I hope this helps😃

Lottie, Graduate Advocate

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