An Overview of Penrhyn Road Campus - From current Kingston student

Hi everyone,

As some of you may be coming to study at the Penrhyn Road campus in September I thought I would give an overview of what it is like and what to expect.

I would consider Penrhyn Road to be like the main campus of Kingston. Most students will visit this campus at least once in their time at Kingston. The departments based here are arts, social sciences, radiography, and sciences, including subjects like film and media, journalism, psychology, and various science disciplines.

It is one of four campuses here at Kington, I have done a previous post with a small overview of all four which I will link.

An Overview of Kingston's Four Campuses - The Student Room

It is a less than 10 minute walk from the centre of Kingston or a 5 minute free university bus and 15 minute walk from the train station. So, a great location to be able to go into Kingston for food on your breaks or head to the river. Also, just a couple minutes the other way down the road is a Sainsburys and a range of other corner shops, takeaways and places to eat.

It is less than a 20 minute walk to Surbiton station or a less than 10 minute bus.

Its closest accommodation being 71-75 Penrhyn Road which is mostly for postgraduate students but there are also a few rooms available for undergraduate students. The other options would be Seething Wells which is a 20 minute walk away or a 5 minute free university bus. Clayhill is also a good option being a 25 minute walk and a 10 minute free bus. Or Middle Mill which is just a 10 minute walk away.

The Town House, based at Penrhyn, is one of the unis landmarks as it has won awards for its architecture and has over 5 floors which include cafes, a library with quiet and collaborative zones, study rooms, macs, computers and a range of books. Theres is also laptops to loan, printers and other equipment. I really like how there are outdoor and rooftop spaces and big windows with great views. It is also open 24 hours during the week! The information centre is based here which you can go to if you have any questions or need signposting. There is also usually always something going on, on the ground floor like exhibitions, career fairs and graduation celebrations.

Penrhyn Road also has the student gym on campus, as well as the GP medical practice/Health Centre and the faith and spirituality centre. The medical practice not only has normal GP services but there are also wellbeing and mental health services including counselling and stress management.

In the main building there is a canteen and café as well as the Student Union which is filled with lots of great social and study spaces, vending machines, kettles and microwaves if you want to bring your own food. There are also outdoor spaces around the building and in the courtyards for warmer days.

In the other three buildings (John Galsworthy, Sopwith and Eadweard Muybridge) are more lecture theatres and seminar rooms as well as quieter places to sit and study. The John Galsworthy building also has the careers centre in it, where I have been before to get my CV checked. You can also visit for a range of career support from job search to interview prep. There are also specialised labs in the other buildings for subjects like pharmacy and civil engineering.

I hope this gives you an idea of what it is like and if you have any questions feel free to ask 😊

-Grace (Kingston Rep)