Grizedale College exterior

Prospective students

Thinking about coming to Lancaster? Find out what it's like to be a member of Grizedale College.

A message from our Principal

Welcome to Grizedale College!

As a College we strive to be a warm and diverse community and these new pages should convey what life in the Grizedale family is like.

Grizedale is the youngest of the University’s nine colleges. It was established in 1975 and retains its rather enviable position near the centre of campus. The College consists of senior members (University staff) who are part of the Senior Common Room or SCR, and Junior members (that’s you) who are all part of the Junior Common Room or JCR. We are a small, but lively group of people dedicated to the care and nurture of all our members. We believe that the opportunities on offer at Lancaster University will prepare you for your future engagement in society and culture and we hope that belonging to Grizedale will form an integral part of your experience.

Please enjoy browsing here, and let us know what you think. Having recently joined the College, I can honestly say that I was made to feel part of the family from Day 1. I wish you all success in your academic programme and look forward to presenting you at your graduation.

Karen Wright

Principal, Grizedale College

Karen Wright
Grizedale Principal, Karen Wright

Life in Grizedale

We're not known as the social college for nothing! As a member of Grizedale College, you can take part in all sorts of activities, from sports and quiz nights to day-trips, fundraising days and more. Check out our promo video made by a group of our talented students.

Welcome Week

Welcome Week – sometimes known as freshers' week – takes place in the week before the start of term. It includes a range of social and academic events designed to help ease you in to University life.

Welcome Week
Grizedale freshers

Accommodation

Grizedale College is home to 18 Townhouses, five houses containing en suite accommodation, three blocks of standard flats, and one block of single and double studios housing 605 students in total.

The en suite flats have six rooms (unless there is a dedicated disabled adapted room, which means there will be five rooms to a flat) and a communal kitchen, which has both soft seating and dining areas. A cleaning service is provided Monday to Friday during term-time, however students are responsible for removing their own rubbish and recycling.

The standard rooms contain a vanity unit with wash basin within the room. There are two shower rooms and two toilets per flat, plus a large communal kitchen, all of which have been refurbished in the last few years.

For further information please see our Accommodation page.

Facilities

Grizedale Bar is renowned for its cocktails and mocktails, its pizzas and its wraps. Open from 12am–11pm Monday to Friday it is a friendly communal space where you can meet friends and relax. There are two dart boards and two pool tables available to use. Away from the bar, we have loads of facilities available exclusively to Grizedale students. These include study space, common room, Barbeques and a kitchen area for off-campus students.

Facilities
Facilities

College life

We run dozens of different social events throughout the year. These include day trips, Barbeques, quizzes, movie nights, Extrav, and our annual Winter Ball.

College Life
Extrav, black and white
Grizedale sport flag

College sport

We have four superb squads for both Netball and Football where Grizedalians can represent the College and take part in inter-college sporting events. You can also join our bar sports teams, and join in the weekly Carter Shield.

Sport
Atree, Grizedale College student

Atree's experience

I feel like it could be easy for people to feel like they don’t fit in at university and worry about getting lost at a place this big. The colleges help you feel a bit more grounded and give you the chance to connect with smaller groups of people. It really helped me settle in.

The location of Grizedale was perfect for me, it was a real perk to be close to my lectures in the Management School in first year. I lived in a superior en suite. One of the best parts was having a little social space in our kitchen with sofas. It meant we all had a place in the flat to socialise together.

I’ve been heavily involved in college life, so much so that I can't imagine what my university experience would have been like without my college. To put it into one word, it would be incomplete. The college system has helped me develop skills I didn't know I had, make friends that will last a lifetime, and also help me grow as a person overall.

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