Undergraduate Prospectus

A Place for you to Live - Guaranteed

At Leicester, each hall has its own distinct character and community – a community that, as a student, you will soon feel part of. Comfortable, social and friendly surroundings make accommodation at Leicester your home away from home.

We continually invest in our accommodation to meet the growing and changing needs of our students. You are guaranteed a room in University allocated accommodation if you firmly accept our offer of a place at Leicester and apply for accommodation by 1 September.

We offer you a wide variety of choice of accommodation. Choose from catered halls of residence (the traditional university experience), or self-catered accommodation, and a variety of rooms from standard single rooms to en suite and deluxe. You can also express a preference for a particular hall of residence or self-catered hall, and while choices cannot be guaranteed, we will try to meet all preferences.

Our catered halls of residence are based at the Oadby Student Village – secure, safe, with facilities on hand and located in an attractive residential area. Halls of residence offer the best way for you to settle in quickly and make friends for life.

In each hall of residence the Junior Common Room (JCR) is the hub of social life. Acting as a mini Students’ Union, it organises entertainment, trips, activities, hall balls and formal dinners, concerts and sporting activities – providing you with the opportunity to get involved in a huge variety of activities.

Self-catered accommodation provides you with the freedom to live independently but within the secure surroundings of our halls. Sharing a kitchen with others living away from home for the first time means that you won’t make those cooking blunders, or masterpieces, on your own.

The Oadby Student Village

The Oadby Student Village is a mixture of properties from Edwardian houses, to newer, purpose-built blocks. The site is near to Oadby village which has shops, a swimming pool, post-office and places of worship.

All the halls are mixed sex, with some separate blocks or corridors for male and female students. Each hall has a Junior Common Room (JCR) committee, elected by students, who organise a wide variety of entertainment including balls, concerts, films and sports events.

Travelling between halls and the University is easy with a frequent bus service and a minibus which runs from the Students’ Union to all University accommodation late at night.

The following halls are based at the Oadby Student Village:

Beaumont and Digby Halls

“Digby is great! The atmosphere and the people are definitely irreplaceable. Also, the staff, led by the hall manager, were very accommodating. I would recommend Digby Hall as a place to live for any first year new to the University of Leicester”
Melissa Maharaj (Digby Hall)

Beaumont Hall is the oldest Hall of Residence and is surrounded by the magnificent Botanical Gardens. The Hall includes Rocklands House, a large Edwardian house set in the grounds, which houses 23 students. Beaumont House comprises the administration offices, the dining room, the JCR, bar, TV room and the music practice room.

Digby Hall comprises large Edwardian houses set in beautiful gardens and purpose-built blocks of study bedrooms. Some of the older houses are listed buildings and students enjoy living in these grand surroundings.

Gilbert Murray Stamford Hall

“I really enjoyed my time in halls, staff were really friendly and helpful with post and queries etc. and the social life was great with the on-site bar. The safety bus was really useful when buses weren’t available and great value for £1.”
Adam Shariat (Gilbert Murray Hall)

Ten houses and purpose-built modern blocks of study bedrooms make up Gilbert Murray Stamford Hall,which is near to the University sports centre and grounds. This hall is particularly known for its excellent social facilities, including TV and games rooms, as well as a bar and large function room.

John Foster Hall

“I lived in John Foster Hall and loved every minute of it – it was like living in a hotel, minus the 24/7 room service!”
Dipak Devalia (Kilby Block, John Foster Hall)

John Foster Hall is made up of our newest accommodation, with high quality en-suite rooms, together with a number of older converted buildings offering self-catered accommodation. The hall is situated near to the University sports centre and grounds. There is an arts programme, in addition to the dining room, common rooms and bar.

Self-catering Accommodation around the City

Choosing to live in self-catered accommodation allows a certain amount of flexibility and freedom – you will take responsibility for your domestic arrangements and all that goes with it. That means not just the cooking but the shopping that goes before it and the washing-up afterwards!

It allows you to live independently but within secure housing. You will have to adapt to communal life with a group of other students and be prepared to take joint responsibility for your house or flat.

Our self-catered accommodation is offered on five main locations close to the University and city centre. All are conveniently located for public transport, shops, pubs and restaurants.

Life in self-catered accommodation is less structured than halls, but social and sporting activities are arranged. You will share a kitchen with basic items such as a cooker, microwave, fridge, kettle, saucepans, iron and ironing board. Coin-operated washers and dryers are located on all sites.

Sub-wardens and elected Junior Common Room representatives act as a link between the Manager of the self-catered accommodation and the students, and can give assistance and guidance on accommodation matters. The support of a dedicated Welfare Officer is also available.

Our self-catering accommodation includes:

Opal Court

Opal Court is a private hall, although the University allocates rooms. Rooms are arranged in flats of five or six students and have a large kitchen/lounge area. Standard rooms have a single bed whereas deluxe rooms have a double bed. The Studios have their own small kitchen.

Nixon Court

At Nixon Court, the study bedrooms are arranged in flats for five, six or ten students. All the rooms have a wash-basin and are well furnished, with some adapted for students with disabilities. There is a large common room with satellite TV.

Mary Gee Houses

“You’re not expected to conjure up a meal fit for a king, but you will learn how to cook a few basics like rice and pasta.”
James Wallace (Mary Gee Houses)

Mary Gee Houses is purpose-built accommodation primarily for the use of undergraduates, There are 36 houses each with ten study bedrooms, a bathroom, usually a shower room and shared kitchen facilities.

Freemen’s Common Houses

Each house consists of ten single study bedrooms with shared kitchen/dining room, bathroom, shower and toilets. Freemen’s Common Houses is also close to Freemen’s Park which has a cinema, supermarket and restaurants. Car parking and secure cycle storage are available at Nixon Court which is only a short walk away.

Self-catered accommodation is also available at Salisbury Houses, including accommodation for couples and small families.

Please see the Accommodation website for more information on all our accommodation.