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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

halls at Bristol University

38 replies

Panda25 · 18/12/2019 18:12

Hi
a little while ago there was a thread on student accommodation at Bristol.
I cant seem to find it now! Can anyone give me advice on which are the best ones. My daughter intends studying design engineering.
many thanks

OP posts:
HyperHippo · 18/12/2019 18:20

If she wants catered many of the Stoke Bishop ones are popular: Churchill, Wills (quite popular with ex-private school types, like formal dinners and more an extended boarding school environment), Baddock is a more down to earth but still lovely option, Durdham used to be considered more boring and quiet, University cheap and a bit more rough and ready, Hiatt Baker expanded since DD was there so unsure now (last three listed are self-catered)

Self-catered- aim for the Clifton ones:
Goldney is beautiful and extremely popular but worth a shot, Clifton Manor used to be quite Christian but may be outdated now, Manor Hall nice too.

You want to avoid the smaller residences out of Stoke Bishop or the main clifton ones. Many of DDs friends were in these and hated it. Get your DD to look on student room or talk to anyone she knows there for more up to date views. You need to be tactical with bristol to get a good hall and avoid being stuck with no accomodation.

Brakebackcyclebot · 18/12/2019 18:22

It all depends on your DD. I was in one of the halls in Stoke Bishop and loved it.

bevelino · 18/12/2019 22:16

One of my dds was in Churchill and another in Wills, both loved their halls and made a solid bank of friends. However, Stoke Bishop is full of students from private schools and most of them know each other beforehand. That is not to say other students won’t feel welcome but it is something to bear in mind.

BubblesBuddy · 18/12/2019 22:56

The grammar school DC know each other too. The city centre ones are there for clubbers so avoid if you don’t want that.

Stoke Bishop means buses to and fro but the halls there are nearer the sports facilities. Wills is the old quad type accommodation and it’s pretty old inside too. Don’t expect mod cons and it’s shared bathrooms. However it’s easy to make friends as it’s catered. The only students who put up with the retro bathrooms and rooms are boarding school pupils. Others run a mile at sharing!

Sometimes self catered halls can be more difficult to make friends in if your corridor isn’t like you or if you fret about mess in the kitchen!

Clifton halls are handy but Goldney is always over subscribed! There’s often a problem for insurance students at Bristol but do sign up for a hall on time if it’s furst choice. None of the main ones in Clifton and Stoke Bishop are awful.

candycane222 · 18/12/2019 23:03

Dc was at Manor (self catering, their choice) and it was fine, and very handy for a teaching-heavy course like engineering. They had formal dinners every so often, otherwise mainly socialised with their flat and the one across the landing.

MarchingFrogs · 18/12/2019 23:16

The city centre ones are there for clubbers so avoid if you don’t want that.

It is possible to enjoy living on a city centre for reasons other than being obsessed with its nightlife...

bevelino · 19/12/2019 07:06

@BubblesBuddy, Wills Hall have a large number of rooms with en-suite facilities. The rooms in the old quad looked ok to me and no more basic than the rooms in the newer accommodation.

olliepolly · 19/12/2019 07:14

My DD is in Clifton hill house catered which was her second choice. Applied to manor hall self catered but we knew from accomm office stats that there was only a 50 % chance of getting in. Also strict rules re which ones are allowable for second choice. All in all she is happy and main choice is yes or no to stoke bishop. For her sport it suited her to be in the Clifton area.

BubblesBuddy · 19/12/2019 08:23

I was specifically talking about the Wills old quad. That tends to be where ex boarders go. Did you look at the shared bathrooms? If they have been modernised - great! DD didn’t care but some DC will if they are still unmodernised.

No not everyone goes clubbing but these halls attract those that do! They are handy for the bright lights and not for the university. I personally know students who wanted to live in this area for precisely this reason. Clearly Stoke Bishop isn’t near any entertainment! Clifton isn’t the city centre either and apart from The Triangle, is a quieter residential area and it feels more traditional studenty. It’s very close to the university. The city centre is entirely different. It can be loud!

Do you know Bristol, MarchingFrogs? Possibly not!

BubblesBuddy · 19/12/2019 08:25

This area refers to city centre halls.

Xenia · 19/12/2019 08:31

It is hard to generalise. My son who is now in year 3 at Bristol was in Willis in year 1 and I think then they were making a big effort to mix people up a bit and most of the boys in his block of about 8 or 10 in one of the lovely old building in the quad at Wills Hall were from state schools. He was from a day private school. We did not find that most people at these halls knew each other from schools before by the way either although I suppose some would. His room was huge - I believe them an who built Wills was cross his son didn't get into Oxbridge so designed it to look as close as possible to an old Oxbridge college. It is really lovely. My son's room was huge with a sink in it (a very ancient sink it must be said)

His older sister 13 years before had been in Wills Hall in the newer bit and had a good time too.

My son's twin was near by in Churchill Hall in a tiny room but didn't mind, had a shower right next to his room which apparently only 2 of them used and it was just right for him.

So all 3 of those children of mine wanted catered halls in Stoke Bishop. The meals were very good and the bus service is free.

The old quad in Willis does indeed have ancient bathroom facilities eg my son had one bath on h is top floor and went to the next floor down for a shower but that was not an issue for him. His sister years before int he newer bit of Willis would have had more modern facilities. My son's room was huge and just what he wanted.

All 3 of my Bristol children then shared houses in years 2 and 3 with friends from their halls which also worked out well - the twins are in year 3 now. My daughter is still friends with her friends from Willis Hall even now 15 years on.

GaribaldiGirl · 19/12/2019 09:09

My DD is in Hiatt Baker, she chose it because her research said it was the party hall. It seems to live up to that reputation. The rooms are a bit grim IMO but atmosphere seems very buzzy.
She does seem to be pretty much the only student in her block who didn’t go to boarding school though...

BubblesBuddy · 19/12/2019 21:13

Hiatt Baker was modernised fairly recently. It was sh-te baker before!

I think Wills hall applicants were self selecting and many state pupils didn’t want the catered halls or the shared bathrooms. My DD loved it. Good friends made but most people seem to do that.

I think the main decisions are:
Location - SB, Clifton or city centre
Cost
Catered or self catered
Facilities - what’s nearby and what’s at the hall?
Party or non party. Or quiet? Catered is less party!

Decide which is best to meet needs. Then apply.

Ontopofthesunset · 20/12/2019 12:58

It does depend what kind of things your child is going to want to do. My son who has just left Bristol was fully catered at Hiatt Baker in his first year but it wasn't great for him as he did a lot of performance/ performing societies and found he missed many meals because there just wasn't time to get back to HB after classes, eat and get back into town to make the society or show or whatever. And the cooking facilities are terrible if you are fully catered. Of course that's in hindsight. He also said that his halls stank of weed permanently but that could be a risk anywhere. Some of HB has been updated but his room was very expensive and pretty tiny. And fully catered there is not 'pay as you eat' like in an Oxford college, but pay for what you don't eat too. He said the buses were often late or too crowded to get on as well.

Muchtootall · 20/12/2019 19:03

My DD had Room last year in Wills and really enjoyed it. On the down side, the old quad is old and kitchens virtually non existent and you have to get a bus into the university each morning. However she enjoyed the formals and made good friends. In fairness most students there seemed to come from grammars, day independents and then a small number of boarders. Not sure she came across many from the average comp but think that may reflect Bristol as a university.

From what I have heard from her and read on the previous threads some DC were unlucky in their other flat mates but she found good, like-minded friends. She is loving Bristol and like most of the students now enjoying life in Clifton.

Apolloanddaphne · 20/12/2019 19:05

My DD2 was in Badock in Stoke Bishop. It is a bit run down but she had a blast and made great friends.

BeardedMum · 20/12/2019 19:06

I love Bristol as a city, but of all the universities we have visited it was the most run-down including the accommodation. I was surprised as it’s one of the top universities.

BubblesBuddy · 20/12/2019 19:21

I think, for some reason, comprehensively educated pupils just don’t want Wills old quad. It’s not modern! Many want newer facilities and are prepared to pay for them. Although DD is friends with a comprehensive educated medic from Wills days.

Possibly more comprehensive pupils want self catered and don’t want formals? Wills is catered so kitchens are not provided for cooking. Just kitchenettes for snacks and drinks. Location is important for some so if your favoured activity isn’t in the area, it can be a faff. So check this out first. Also if you don’t have late lectures, going to and fro from Stoke Bishop isn’t that bad. It tends to mean the Union isn’t used by SB students much though.

Anyone can be unlucky with flat mates, unfortunately, and you never really know what they will be like when they are off the leash at university. Students can move though when vacancies arise.

Aldibaldi555 · 20/12/2019 19:24

I was in Badock but 20 years ago!
Lots of public school types but that was Bristol uni generally not just the hall.

I’m laughing at everyone saying you need to get a bus as we used to walk to uni & back each day, don’t recall many students taking the bus back then.

BubblesBuddy · 20/12/2019 19:24

I would rather choose a top university over a mediocre one with new accommodation. There is new accommodation in Bristol - in the city centre. The privately educated who flock to Bristol and take the shabby accommodation don’t seem to mind though. I guess accommodation isn’t a measure of how good a university is!

BubblesBuddy · 20/12/2019 19:25

The bus passes from SB are included in the hall fees. That’s why they get used.

KiteflyingKat · 20/12/2019 19:26

Also things may have changed in the last 20 years but I applied for self-catered and got dumped in Badock (catered). I didn’t choose it.

BeardedMum · 20/12/2019 19:45

@BubblesBuddy, I thought the campus (the part we looked at) was generally shabby though not just the accommodation. It wasn’t just the shabbiness, it had no charm or vibes to me at all. Such a shame as I love Bristol in general.

BubblesBuddy · 20/12/2019 20:14

I thought Clifton was rather pleasant but DD was a language student and that faculty appeared to be in converted houses, so it was pleasant as I recall. Can’t speak for other faculties. Everywhere we went in Bristol over the years didn’t seem run down - apart from the bathrooms in Wills.

Watchingblueplanet · 20/12/2019 22:49

I advise caution with some of the halls in Bristol especially certain halls in SB which attract a particular type of student. My DD was shocked at the amount of drugs and hard partying in her hall. There does seem to be a disproportionate number of hard core party people often from public schools with plenty of money for their other recreational habits.

The removal of any proper security and adult supervision in halls also exacerbated this issue although I understand that the uni is considering bringing back some form of in-house security or wardens in these more isolated halls. My DS at another university, had full time security in his hall in case of any problems. Any problems in my DD’s hall and no one would have known or been around to help. I also warn that you don’t always get your choice. My DD applied for Clifton but was allocated a hall in SB.