Coventry

The City of Coventry is located 3 miles (5 km) from the main University campus. Coventry is a modern multi-cultural city with a medieval past. Substantially rebuilt after the devastation of the Second World War, the city has been recently transformed again thanks to the multi-million pound “Phoenix Initiative”. Whilst retaining many buildings of historic interest, including cathedrals, churches, the medieval guildhall, almshouses, timber-framed pubs and shops, art galleries and museums, Coventry also offers excellent shopping, a wide variety of good restaurants and a lively nightlife in its pubs and clubs. Coventry also has a theatre - the Belgrade which produces high quality performances throughout the year.

Coventry’s recent history has been closely linked to the car industry and its contribution towards British motoring is commemorated at the popular Coventry Transport Museum.

Coventry Cathedral is a favourite tourist destination, which combines the ruins of the 14th century building destroyed in the bombing with a new modern cathedral, which rises up from the ashes.

With a population of 300,000. Coventry’s mainline railway station has around 4 trains an hour running to London Euston, taking approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes.

Royal Leamington Spa

Royal Leamington Spa is a charming nineteenth century Regency ‘spa’ town. It has attractive Georgian and Victorian architecture, tree-lined avenues and squares and famous river-side public gardens. It has a good reputation for shopping with a large number of independently run shops offering a unique choice of unusual and exciting goods as well as fashion boutiques providing a range of designer labels.

It is more lively than its neighbours of Warwick, Kenilworth and Stratford, with a good selection of restaurants and bars. The historic Royal Pump Rooms have been transformed into a cultural and tourism complex. They house the town’s Museum, Art Gallery, Tourist Information Centre and library alongside a café and Assembly Rooms. The town has its own theatre and sports facilities.

With a population of 55,000 it is mostly a residential town. There are regular train services to London Marylebone and Birmingham.

Kenilworth

Kenilworth is a peaceful, historical town 4 miles from the University campus. It attracts many tourists and visitors to its ruined castle and surrounding countryside.

Kenilworth has two small theatres, plenty of restaurants, bars and pubs, and a shopping high-street in with a number of high-street stores, but is smaller than the shopping centres of Coventry and Leamington Spa.

Warwick

Warwick is a pretty and historic town with plenty of visitors’ attractions, including Warwick Castle, which has played a crucial role in 1000 years of British history.

It is more expensive to live in than other nearby towns/ cities and its transport links to the University are not as direct and frequent, so students don’t often chose to live there, but it is certainly well worth a visit.

The University derives from the county of Warwickshire as the University straddles the boundary between the City of Coventry and the County of Warwickshire.

Stratford

The town of Stratford-Upon-Avon, birthplace of William Sheakespeare, is an historic market town. Situated 15 miles from the campus, it is one of the UK's most popular tourist towns, and well worth a visit.

Whether watching a play performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, visiting the historic buildings associated with Shakespeare, shopping, or just soaking up the atmosphere, there is something here for everyone.

Birmingham

Birmingham is the UK’s second city (23 miles from the University). It also has an international airport, only 14 miles from the University.

Birmingham is home to the multi-million pound Bullring development, where the shopping is excellent. It also boasts a vast array of shops, bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, theatres and art galleries.