Newcastle University accommodation

[PippaHugo]

My son is studying medicine at Newcastle Uni in September 2025. He is a sensible, straightforward lad but isn’t a party animal. He’s friendly and likes to socialise but doesn’t particularly like drinking/clubbing.We have friends whose daughter went there and who found her first year accommodation a little disconcerting, as, for understandable reasons, a lot of 18-year-olds were let off the hook for the first time and liked to get plastered, but that wasn’t her scene, and she was unhappy in her first year because of the people she was sharing with. She was much happier in her second year living in shared accommodation with like-minded people in Jesmond.

Any tips from people on how to choose quieter accommodation, appreciating there may not actually be any choice, but just wanting to be prepared?

My daughter sounds a lot like your son and is living in St Mary’s on Fenham Hall Road. It’s quiet and everyone seems to keep to themselves, though she’s gone the other way and has arranged a shared house for next year as she’s felt a bit lonely there.

Hi OP. I have two DC studying med at Newcastle. Castle Leaze was the big party hall but that has gone now. It was still there when my first started and they said it would have been too much for them. Both of mine had first years in Park View. They both enjoy socialising but not wall to wall party animals. Both loved it. They have had a range of similar friends in different accommodation on campus and off and they were all happy. Feel free to DM me if you want to ask any specific questions.

Thanks for much. Really appreciate it!

Was going to say Park View. My daughter had a great experience there, some partying obviously but she made great friends. They also seemed to mix between the flats so she shared a house in Year 2 with friends from another flat. It’s also next door to the hospital and Med School so early morning lectures weren’t an issue as she could roll of bed at the last minute and be there in 5 minutes!

Castle Leazes was the party hall.

my DD managed to change at Christmas in her first year because it was just too much

No advice on housing but wanted to say congrats to your op for going to med school. You must be really proud. 👨‍⚕️

Hi, my DC is still undecided whether to firm Newcastle. I'm a bit confused by their accommodation system - seems they release in blocks? Not sure if this means in reality you are more likely to get what you want if you firm and apply early - any previous year applicants know? Also, on their accomodation page it says the information is relevant for 2024 and the 2025 information will follow "in the spring"?

Like other PP's DC DD was also in Park View which is right next to the medical school. She is sociable, but not a party animal and found the balance just right.

Most students live in Jesmond from year 2. It has a lovely vibe.

Castle Leazes was known as the party halls and the only halls that offered catered accommodation. It attracted several students who had been to boarding school and was known as the halls that had the most "rahs". I believe it is being refurbished or knocked down and rebuilt?

Thanks so much to everyone. Really helpful. I appreciate it!

Is Park View where the old Richardson Road flats used to be? I lived there for 2 years and loved that place!

You don’t really get to choose. It’s done on a lottery basis. However, don’t make the mistake we did with our DD and opt for private halls. It was full of foreign students who weren’t willing to socialise with UK students so it made it incredibly difficult for her initially. Our DS meanwhile was v lucky & got allocated decent university accommodation & he’s been very happy from the off. He’s in Wellington Plaza.

Yes. It is a lottery, but it is still worth putting choices down. At least you won't get Castle Leazes now.

@Ineedcoffeenow Park View is in Richardson Road. They were built in 2016/7. I don't know what was there before.

That was the old Richie Road flats then . That was the day when 1) there were 6 people sharing a bathroom; 2) they had painted breeze block walls; 3) they had weird triangular kitchens.

My son, also studying med was in Park Terrace, bit quieter than Park View but still just a 5 min walk to med school

I lived in a 'Ricky Road' flat, (and my sister before me too) every room had about 7 weirdly angled walls, yes painted breeze blocks and the tiny triangular kitchen. We had a weekly cleaner, there was a payphone in every block...

When they were pulled down they had to build bat maternity hospitals on stilts for the resident bat population to move into. The new Park View accommodation which replaced them is
popular, next to the Medical and Dental Schools and hospitals, there's also a new sports centre there. Just a short walk to the rest of the Uni and the town centre.

@JulesJules yes to the weird angled walls. Also there was a fire escape door in many of the showers! Happy times in those flats.

My dd is at Newcastle in her third year. Newcastle was her insurance so she just got whatever was left for halls and she was in Bernicia. She had a great time. There were two medical students in her ‘flat’ of ten. It wasn’t party central.

Thnx so much everyone!

What were the self-catered flats near Castle Leazes called again? My boyfriend at the time was there and I’m sure I also remember weirdly shaped rooms and minimal bathrooms 😂

The blocks all had different names, my sister was in Esther Campbell Court ("Apple Crumble Court") I was in Goldsbrough Court, the others were Owen Court and Lowden Court iirc

Trying to find out where posh students who like shooting fishing etc chose, as my son would like to avoid he says yet had to be near the football stadium / business school at Newcastle uni

My dd has lived in the city centre for all three years. She lives in a flat on Grainger Street and can see monument out of her bedroom window at the moment and last year lived in the shadow of St James Park. Her rent this year is £450 and was less last year.

Jesmond, where a lot of students live, is one of the more affluent areas of Newcastle, despite all of the students. If he wants to avoid that the city centre is probably the best place or Sandyford which is slightly further out but still walkable. It’s cheaper than Jesmond as there isn’t a metro. Or a waitrose.

They used to stay at Castle Leazes because it was the only catered halls. A lot of boarding school students stayed there.

These halls have been knocked down now.

Park View is near the football stadium.

My dd has just finished her first year of medicine at Newcastle. She put Park Terrace as her first choice after talking to friends who were already at the uni.

She didn't get any of her choices in the end, and was placed on the other side of town in Portland Green. It really didn't matter in the end, she loved it!

I think it's a bit the luck of the draw.... both my kids ended up in the biggest / supposedly most social accommodation of their respective universities (though neither in Newcastle) but their experiences have been very different:

DD1 ended up in a very lively flat, lots of parties, drugs, people round constantly, filthy kitchen, every Covid rule broken at the time.
DD2 flat was very quiet, everyone seemed to have friends elsewhere who they spent most of their time with and she barely knew her housemates.

I think you just accept what you're given and if you don't like it, try and move.