Self organised open days - university cities - suggestions of what to see please

[ratticus4]

In the absence of Open Days this year, DD and I are planning to visit some university cities to get a feel for them. I'd be grateful for any insider knowledge on them - along the lines of Sussex university is a campus university and not in Brighton! - so that we can plan accordingly and not just wander around a city aimlessly.

The cities we're looking at are -

Oxford
Bristol
Cardiff
Durham
Sheffield
York

all to study music. Of course, any other suggestions of where to study music are welcome.

One of the best places to study music is Royal Holloway, University of London, in Egham, Surrey.

We've been doing the same - just taken my son to Warwick, Birmingham and Nottingham (without being arrested....!).

My husband and I went to Durham so can help a bit. The train service is good and you can walk into town easily from there. I'd have a walk around the marketplace, then down the Bailey into the square where the cathedral and castle are (you'll pass most of the Bailey colleges as you go). Continue down the Bailey until you hit the river, go over Prebends Bridge and turn right back along the river and into town. That loop takes about 30 minutes tops.

I confess I can't remember where the music department is but quite a few departments are on the site where the library is (about a 10 minute walk from town). The hill colleges are (as they sound!) up the hill from that site (some off to the right halfway up). There's one college on its own (Hild Bede) which is a 10 minute walk along the river in the other direction. You can keep walking until you get to the sports complex at Maiden Castle or get the bus there from town.

We went round Bristol last summer. We drove around the main halls then walked around the city centre to see the various departments as they were spread out.

We also went to Cambridge last year and booked a walking tour. The lady that did the tour was a wife of one of the professors and was very engaging with my kids. In fact, slightly too engaging as she asked lots of questions which they struggled to answer. At one point, she asked what historical even occurred in 1066. Phew, I thought, knowing they'd studied it in some depth for their 13 plus exams. My older son piped up.... The Great Fire of London

The Bristol music Dept is in the Victoria Rooms, but that is currently under scaffolding and housing a covid test site. It features as a law court in an episode of Sherlock! It is a lovely dept.

You need to get a feel for the cities, not just the universities.
The music department in Durham is opposite the cathedral - lovely spot. The cathedral is amazing, and I imagine a music student would spend time there.

Birmingham music is in the beautiful curved building in the old part of the campus - well worth a visit.