Lancaster Summer School
Writing time this year has been more or less devoted to the MA I’m enrolled on with Lancaster University. Hence the paucity of blog posts. Earlier this month I spent a week at Lancaster on a summer school with other MA students. It was a chance to meet my cohort of writers, have face time with the tutors, write a lot and learn even more, and immerse ourselves in campus life.
Following so soon after my short break in Wales, I thought my mind must be stuck in Pembrokeshire when I spotted oyster catchers outside the university accommodation. But it was no mistake. The black and white birds, with their shrill calls and x-wing fighter style flight pattern, were indeed campus residents. However, oyster catchers are not the water birds for which the university is known. Lancaster’s ducks are as much part of the campus as students, roaming freely around the main thoroughfare.
A Green Campus
With over 25,000 trees, including areas of ancient woodland, 6.5 miles of hedgerows, and a large lake, Lancaster University offers a haven for a range of wildlife. In 2024/25 the university received its thirteenth consecutive Green Flag Award in recognition of being one of the country’s best managed green spaces. The latest award was a reflection of the university’s commitment to improve biodiversity across the campus. This has included designated no mow areas, planting 1,300 native British trees, and sowing 6000 square metres of wildflower meadows.
Before starting the day of lectures and coursework, I spent time exploring the woodland around the perimeter of the campus. The walk was peaceful; shared with squirrels, thrushes, blackbirds, robins, and sometimes a rabbit. Flora ranged from mature oaks to foxgloves, rhododendron to dead man’s fingers fungus. Occasionally I would see a jogger along the path, but the area was otherwise devoid of humans.
Visit
Being campus based, students, staff, and visitors are provided for very well. Shops and facilities include a small supermarket, Post Office, convenience store, fuel station/motor mechanics, pharmacy, hairdressers, various cafés and eating places as well as bars. With notoriously poor homing skills, I stuck to just a few routes while on site.
Within 3 miles of Lancaster, half an hour from the Lake District, and 90 minutes to the edge of Scotland, Lancaster University is not just a well planned campus university. It can also be a base from which to travel. Out of term time, 1000 guest rooms are available for booking, including bed and breakfast options.
Although my current focus is necessarily on my degree, Lancaster is high on my list of places to explore further.
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