So this is my final blog and I thought I would end on a spring note! The university, as you may know, is set on wonderful parkland around Europe’s largest plastic-bottomed lake. The university is well-known, through many forms of social media, for the wildlife on campus, especially the many ducks and geese which you will find around. Apparently there are 24 different species of birds to be spotted by the lake, so those interested in bird spotting will have a good chance.
Anyway less of the David Attenborough, here are my top five beauty spots on campus (in no particular order!)
- Heslington Hall – This very idyllic Grade II* listed building, situated near Heslington village
looks, very similar to something out of Hogwarts! The building is used by the university staff for many different things and the gardens behind the hall are really nice to sit by, especially in the spring/summer as you can see.
2. The Quiet Place – This lovely garden is set aside as an area of quietness and stillness. The Quiet Place includes an outer
lawn area and seating, an enclosed garden area, a lower room, which is available for individual use, and an upper room which can be booked by groups or individuals. These can be all used for the purpose of reflection, meditation, prayer, reading and contemplative walking.
3. Ron Cooke Study Pods – These three pods are situated on Heslington East near the Ron Cooke Hub facing the lake. The pods hold different numbers of people and are great place to hold meetings or revision sessions or just a great place to chill.
4. Greg’s Place – This community place which opened in October supported by former Chancellor Greg Dyke during his final year in the office. This offers an innovative space to host and view art installations, open air cinema, pop-up activities and performance for students and visitors alike. As you can see by this photo it faces out onto the beautiful lake.
5. Central Hall – This a tiered auditorium located at the heart Heslington campus overlooking the lake. It has a capacity of 1,190 and is used for concerts, conferences, competitions, fashion shows, graduations and other events. Although not so pretty from the outside, the vibe inside and the amount of people that it holds is incredible! It really is like a spaceship/ TARDIS. So there are my top five spots on campus, good luck with the future and hope you all arrive in York in September to explore the campus for yourself!
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