You may find it helpful to look at the University campus map alongside this guidance.
Our campus
The University's main campus is located in Claverton Down, on the east side of the city of Bath.
The Library is at the very centre of the campus. You can find your way to all other buildings on campus based on their compass direction from the Library: north, east, south, or west.
It takes about 10 minutes to walk from one side of campus to the other.
The Parade
The Parade is the name of the elevated pedestrian walkway at the centre of campus. It begins at Wessex House on the west of campus and ends at Founders Hall on the east. The Library is located in the middle of the Parade on its northern edge.
Wessex House crosses the Parade on its western edge. Norwood House crosses the Parade near its eastern edge.
Campus levels
Floor levels on the Parade
Because of its elevation, the Parade is on Level 2. This means that when you enter buildings from the Parade you also enter them on Level 2.
There are two flights of steps and a lift up to the Parade at its eastern edge from the bus terminus and the path leading to the Lime Tree restaurant and the East car park.
At the Parade's western edge, there is a ramp leading to the West car park.
There is also a wide flight of steps leading from the lake and amphitheatre up to the Parade directly in front of the Library.
There is an access road, Quarry Road, underneath the Parade. This area is known as the Underdeck and is on Level 1.
None of the buildings connected to the Parade have a Level 0.
Floor levels of other buildings
For most buildings not connected to the Parade, the entrance is on Level 1. For example,
Entrances to all South buildings are on Level 0.
Building names
Most buildings on campus are identified according to their compass position in relation to the Library. These building names include a compass point and an odd or even number.
If you need to find which building an academic department is based in, you can use the campus map or check the departmental webpages for the name and location.
West and East buildings
For West and East buildings, those with odd numbers in their names are on the same side of the Parade as the Library, and those with even numbers in their names are on the opposite side of the Parade to the Library. The higher the number, the further the building is from the Library.
For example:
- 1 West is next to the Library on the west side
- 4 East is further away and east of the Library, on the opposite side of the Parade
Main entrances to all East and West buildings connected to Parade are all on Level 2.
Some buildings are located further north or south of an existing East or West building. For example:
- 3 West North is to the north of the 3 West building
- 4 East South is to the south of the 4 East building
South buildings
All buildings with 'South' in their names are located on the south side of campus, beyond the lake. They are not connected to the Parade. Their numbers do not correspond with their relation to the Parade or Library.
Entrances to South buildings are all on Level 0.
Named buildings
Some buildings on campus have names instead of a compass point and a number.
For example:
East Building is a teaching building located near the eastern edge of campus, and opposite the East car park. It should not be confused with buildings connected to the Parade with 'East' in their name, like '1 East'.
Some teaching buildings have a name as well as a compass point and number. For example, 10 East is more commonly called the School of Management.
Other landmark buildings
It's useful to locate other landmark buildings on campus to make it easier to find your way around.
The Students' Union (SU)
The SU building is located at the east end of the Parade, on the same side as the Library. Inside is the entrance to the campus bar and nightclub, The Plug & The Tub.
The Sports Training Village
The Sports Training Village (STV) is on the east side of campus. Most outdoor sporting facilities are behind the STV building and along Norwood Avenue.
The Edge
The Edge arts facility is opposite the bus terminus on the east side of campus.
Accommodation buildings
Most student accommodation buildings are located on the north and east sides of campus. Groups of accommodation buildings are coloured the same on campus signposts and on the campus map.
| Accommodation name | Location | Colour on campus map and signposts |
|---|---|---|
| Brendon Court, Conygre, Cotswold, Cotswold House, Derhill, Mendip, Polden, Polden Court, Quantock, Quarry, Wolfson | West | Red |
| Eastwood, Eastwood Lodge, Esther Parkin | Northeast | Purple |
| Marlborough Court, Solsbury Court, The Quads, Woodland Court | East | Light blue |
| Norwood House | The Parade | Orange |
Room numbers
The room number information in University addresses can be confusing. But, understanding this information is easier than it might seem.
Let's break down a typical University teaching room address: 1W 3.30.
The first part (1W) describes the building in which the room is located. In our example, that's 1 West.
The second part of the address (3.30) describes the level of that building where you'll find the room (3) and the number of the room itself (30).
So, putting this information together, we can see that 1W 3.30 describes room 30 on level 3 of the 1 West building.
It's useful to remember that the dot between the level number and the room number in University-building addresses is there purely to separate the two pieces of information. Despite appearances, it's not a decimal point.
Exceptions to standard room numbering
Today, we write room numbers with two digits. This means that room numbers from one to nine have a zero in front of them (01, 02, 03, and so on). But, there are exceptions to this rule that are worth knowing.
Single-digit room numbers
For now, there are still rooms on campus with single-digit numbers in their addresses, on their doors, or both. Updating these single-digit numbers to two-digit numbers is an ongoing process.
For example, a single-digit room number: 8W 2.8 would be the same room as 8W 2.08. It is room 8 on level 2 of the 8 West building.
Triple-digit room numbers
You'll find room numbers with three digits in two locations on campus:
- 1 West
- Applied Biomechanics Suite
Let's look at an example of a triple-digit room number in a campus address: 1W 2.102.
The '1' denotes a specific building or area of an existing building. In this case, it's an annexe accessible through (but built after) the original 1 West building.
The last two digits '02' are a standard room number.
So, putting this information together, we can see that 1W 2.102 describes room 2 on level 2 of the 1 West annexe.
Rooms with separate entrances
Some rooms on campus are accessed from their own entrance, separate from the main entrance of the building they belong to. For example, the entrances to the 8 West lecture theatres are opposite the entrance to 8 West.
Finding facilities within buildings
Facilities inside buildings, such as lifts, toilets, and information points, are generally well-signposted and feature white text on a blue or grey background.
You can identify signs leading to emergency exits by their unique colour scheme – white text and symbols on a green background.
You can also locate facilities around campus by using one of our facility-specific campus maps:
- Lifts on campus
- Accessible toilets
- Gender-neutral toilets on campus
- Female toilets
- Male toilets on campus
- Baby-changing facilities on campus
Tools for navigating campus
There are several tools you can use to help you navigate around campus. Each has its benefits, and using a combination can often be your best strategy as you get to know the University.
Campus map PDF
The campus map is particularly useful when used alongside the signs around campus.
Use the Key below the map. It can help you match departments, amenities and services to their buildings.
Regions of the campus have different colours on the map. These correspond to the colours of the building signs. If, for example, the buildings you see nearby have burgundy-coloured signs, you know you're in the south of the campus.
Signs across campus
There are plenty of signs around campus to help you get around. The majority of these are either:
- colour-coded campus maps that show your current location
- signposts with one or more colour-coded signs pointing towards nearby (and key but more distant) locations
While you're getting to know the University, keep the campus map PDF handy on your phone or as a printout to use alongside the campus signs.
Most signposts will point to the Parade, alongside other destinations. If you're feeling lost, head to the Parade and to the Library. This is at the centre of the campus, and the signs standing in front of the Library entrance will help you find most locations.
Location pages
Location pages have useful information about key locations around campus. You can also use Location pages to get directions from your current location.
Every location page has an embedded OpenStreetMap showing the building's location on campus.
Google Maps
Google Maps is not currently as useful on campus as it can be elsewhere. There are two reasons for this:
- Google Maps identifies our elevated thoroughfare, the Parade, as a building and, so, ignores it
- Google Maps doesn't recognise many of the pedestrian paths that criss-cross the campus
As such, it gives directions around campus using roads and not paths. However, you can use Google Maps to help you find out which direction to head in and take any paths you see on the way, similar to how you'd use the campus map PDF.
It's also worth noting that, by default, Google Maps labels most of our buildings with the department or school that's based there rather than the building name.
You can, however, launch Google Maps directions to specific buildings from many Location pages (this is 10 West's location page, for example). This is particularly useful if you only know the name of the building you want to find.
Finding accessible routes
Our Claverton Down campus accessibility guide has an accessibility map of parking and wheelchair access points as well as detailed information about the accessibility of our buildings and facilities through AccessAble, the UK's leading provider of access information.
The University's off-campus locations
The University has some off-campus locations that you may visit.
The Virgil Building
The Virgil Building is a student hub and professional services building on Manvers Street in Bath city centre. It has bookable and non-bookable study spaces. The entrance to the Virgil Building is on Level 2.
Dartmouth Avenue
Dartmouth Avenue is a community space located in Oldfield Park.