Northampton
19 Reviews by Students #79 out of 80 University locations
Northampton is the ideal combination of urban activity and rural tranquilly. Outside of the city, there are a great deal of green landscapes to explore outside the town. Students should try to explore these wonders within the town.
By member1172309 On 11th October 2022
Study in Northampton
Sitting in quite a rural part of the East Midlands, Northampton is a thriving town and it's here you will find the University of Northampton.
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University of Northampton
University of Northampton has been ranked with a Gold award from the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). It may be one of the youngest universities in the UK but they pride themselves on leading the way in adding value to society and want to ensure their students graduates have the opportunity to make their mark on the world. In 2018 the University opened its £330 million Waterside Campus which has state-of-the-art facilities whilst being sensitive to the surroundings and a sustainable low-carbon campus.
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Northampton Student Life
Northampton may not be the biggest town but it does a good job of accommodating a modern lifestyle while still keeping its heritage in mind.
Cost of Living
Accommodation
Student accommodation costs in Northampton range from £77 - £165 per week; the average is £132 per week.
Compare the average elsewhere: Derby: £136/week, Nottingham: £166/week, Birmingham: £173/week.
(Prices are for all purpose-built student accommodation (both private and university-owned) over the last 12 months, as listed on StudentCrowd)
The average price for:
A cheap meal at a restaurant: £12
A pint of beer: £3.50
A regular takeout coffee: £2.84
1L of milk: £0.96
A loaf of white bread: £1.04
(Source: Numbeo)
Nights Out
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Live Music Venues
The music scene in the area is pretty decent, with The Roadmender being the largest local venue for live gigs. For even bigger concerts the National Bowl in nearby Milton Keynes has a history of drawing international acts.
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Head into town!
With over twenty nightclubs in town, you won’t be short of places to go for a big night out. The university’s SU club ‘The Platform’ is also a popular spot, hosting all types of nights from silent disco’s to international DJ’s.
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A good range of stage shows, music, and drama can be found at the Royal & Derngate theatre and for movie nights, there are two mainstream cinemas in the town, as well as the independent Forum cinema.
Public Transport
The university bus, The Uno, runs between the campus and main bus centre and other locations around town. If you have a car it could be useful for getting home or exploring further afield as Northampton town is just off the M1. This makes it easy to get around the country whether you’re going up to Birmingham for some shopping or down south to London for a big day out. Both locations are about an hour away.
Eating Out
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Just a 15 minute walk away is Turtle Bay. They are best known for their Caribbean cuisine and bottomless brunch - where you get a main meal and free flowing supply of cocktails, who doesn't like that!
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Oriental Garden Restaurants is a Chinese restaurant in the centre of town. It has an ‘Eat All You Like’ buffet menu which suits students perfectly! The ideal place to go after some shopping or before you hit the bars.
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Shopping
There are several shopping locations here, the biggest being the Grosvenor Centre and the Weston Favell Centre. There’s also a market held twice a week in the market square for picking up some veg and treats on the cheap.
Days Out
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Rugby
Like it loud? Rugby is a big deal here. The local team, the ‘Northampton Saints’ play at Franklin Gardens. It’s really worth getting into the spirit and going to watch a match to support your local team.
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Country Estates
Like it quiet? There are several country estates nestled away between the rolling hills of the East Midlands. One is the home of the late Princess Diana at Althorp, where she is also buried.
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Silverstone
Like it fast? For those who want to escape the quiet life every so often, the world-famous Silverstone racetrack is down the road.
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Northampton Museum and Art Gallery
Like it cultured? Northampton was built up around the business of making shoes, and the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery have its main exhibition on shoes throughout history.
Top 10 Northampton Accommodation
Read Northampton Reviews
I live here and g...
I live here and go to uni here. Don't bother coming, it's an awful place with absolutely nothing to do. read more
Ended up commutin...
Ended up commuting for two and a half years as I’d rather save the maintenance then spend it on accommodation but the train fees will hurt your pocket if you’re not used to outer London transportation, especially when you can’t get a refund for your ticket or your day back if the lecturers don’t show up. read more
Northampton is th...
Northampton is the ideal combination of urban activity and rural tranquilly. Outside of the city, there are a great deal of green landscapes to explore outside the town. Students should try to explore these wonders within the town read more
The town is dull...
The town is dull and depressing, don’t move here unless you like being in the minority read more
There are much be...
There are much better places to live. Not much to do. Besides Platform, the clubs are sketchy and dangerous. Transport isn't extremely bad but the road layout is awful, takes ages just to get to one place. There are decent shops but I'd rather go to Milton Keynes than here. read more
#BLACKLIVESMATTER...
#BLACKLIVESMATTER but not according to the entire residential life department. Vile creatures with deep rooted racism in them. They do it by abusing their position by interrogating you. Made me empty my suitcase upon arriving after Christmas break because ‘they wanted to check for any suspicious substances’. Quickly changed their mind when my black mother (Dr Black Mother) asked them why I’m a target for stop and search. Replied by stuttering their way out of it. Pathetic. read more
I came to Northam...
I came to Northampton for a day visit and I have to say it was a complete success I would recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of history. I have traveled around the country and this is by fair one of the best places I have visited. read more
Student nights ou...
Student nights out are ace. Not many decent places to go though. Shopping is fairly naff but MK isn't too far if someone drives/you get the train read more
I really love nor...
I really love northampton, as coming from a small village it's not to big to seem daunting. The bus service for uni students is fantastic and would certainly recommend it. I love the nights out as they are cheap yet always fantastic, never disappointed. The shopping could be improved however i'm glad as it means i don't spend all my money on clothes and shoes. There is numerous taxi services around northampton making it very easy to get to places as well as being charged decent rates. read more
Run down but real...
Run down but really good links to London andbirmingham read more
Northampton is bi...
Northampton is bigger than my home town and it has plenty of shops that suffice my needs. The transport is pretty good, the UNO buses are every 20 minutes and it only costs £1 if you show your student ID. It's a perfect location for trains with up to 3 trains an hour to London/Birmingham. read more
Nights out are gr...
Nights out are great if you want to risk being stabbed read more