The Vale Village

Good student atmosphere. Ok food but not enough healthy options. Good student bar. Range of prices and facilities in each accommodation block. Sick scenes if it snows

Location is great - perfect distance from uni, but in terms of facilities, I reported the lift (which would break with students inside by shuddering to a halt for a minute or so before eventually moving again) on multiple occasions but nothing was done about it

Tennis courts is a great accommodation, it is a very friendly environment and there is also lots going on. It is a good option if you don't want to spend much, but want to be close to the University.

Tennis courts is a great accommodation, it is a very friendly environment and there is also lots going on. It is a good option if you don't want to spend much, but want to be close to the University.

Better food opportunities on uni campus than on accommodation campus and a trek to the uni, nice living in a big community though, beautiful surroundings

Mason is a very lovely place to live big windows close to uni campus and very near to the beautiful lake. Only thing I do not rate is the inability to wash me clothes as the ones a good 5 minute walk away just do not know how to dry clothes

The washing machines were really far away but the rooms were really nice.The kitchen was big but there was no table to eat at. Although en suite bathrooms were a bonus they were wet rooms and therefore things often got really wet when it flooded. The blinds in the bedrooms were kinda bad. The lift was really loud and annoying. It was weird that you were so close to the other blocks so you could see into everyone's bedrooms.

The washing machines were really far away but the rooms were really nice.The kitchen was big but there was no table to eat at. Although en suite bathrooms were a bonus they were wet rooms and therefore things often got really wet when it flooded. The blinds in the bedrooms were kinda bad. The lift was really loud and annoying. It was weird that you were so close to the other blocks so you could see into everyone's bedrooms.

Lovely flats, great maintenance people, lake is gorgeous for a nice walk around - made some amazing friends, close to campus and has washing facilities and shops on the village

The location was good as walkable to uni. The social side of it was also excellent as everyone’s accommodation was nearby and there was a bar and events on there and on the vale. The facilities of my accommodation were poor - it was not refurbished, a lot of maintenance issues, the rooms were tiny as well - it barely fit a bed inside. The rooms definitely could have been bigger. Also when we started the flats weren’t particularly clean at all. It would’ve been nice if there were more communal areas eg. On the bottom floor of a block of flats to make socialising with people not in your flat easier and not as squashed.

So integrated, so many halls near each other so you feel close to your friends. Stunning lake and greenery.

The Vale Village is a really beautiful place because of the lake and the surroundings, but i live in Maple Bank, the cheapest accommodation there is. I like my room i think it offers enough for the moeny spent but there are some disadvantages like the position which is really far from the university and the fact that is really noisy. Also, there are no shops near the halls except for costcutter which is quite expensive.

Facilities good, but EXTREMELY pricey. Prices increasing every year really, really unfair. Pizza from Melt is very nice though. Washing machine room has nice smells but unfortunately condoms in 'charity donation' bin sullys the experience a little. A decent walk to the main campus, but nice paved yellow road makes it relatively easy to find, but on other hand could have better sign posting.

Mason has a really nice and big kitchen shared by 5 or 6. Great views of the lake from all the roooms. It has a really nice path for long strolls and runs. There's a grocer on the Vale (Costcutter) so you won't have to go too far if you run out of anything.

Shackleton hall is the central hub for the vale village and by far the most social as you'll find people coming from all over to use the facilities here, namely the costcutter, the melt and the pub. It's good, although rooms are outdated and mine in particular is very small compared with flatmates'. Meal plan is also useful if you don't want to cook, but the value for money is poor especially if you buy sandwiches and you will have to cook to make it through the week, and I don't see the benefit of using mealplan at infusion rather than just using a debit card at checkout.

Elgar Court- The Call An 'on campus' accommodation that's still nearly a 25 minute walk from main campus. Huge rooms and really nice kitchen . All been redone in late 2017. Don't go on meal plan , youll save money buying your own food

really great in chaimberlain, very happy, the facilities are great, the meal plan has a wide variety of choice which can be used at all the outlets on campus, the atmosphere is very social and i have made a lot of friends

Maple Bank in the Vale is I think the tied-cheapest option - and the facilities do reflect that. Despite self-catering being the only option, compared to the other housing options, you get the smallest kitchens. The kitchens are so small that you don't get a dining table, but instead a breakfast bar that technically seats 3 (at least, there are 3 stools available) and a 'sofa' the width of a love seat. All 5 flatmates could technically cook at the same time - but only if four flatmates use a hob each and one uses the oven, and you don't all stand in the main cooking area at once. You get a freezer, 2 fridges, a microwave, and an oven with the kitchen. You share a laundry building with the rest of Maple Bank. All common areas in the flat - the kitchen, the corridor, and the two rooms with toilets - have automatic lights. In the corridor and kitchen this is fine when you move more often, but in the main bathroom, the shower cubicle blocks the sensor, so you have to keep opening the shower door when you shower to keep the lights on at night. The highlights of the Maple Bank flats are the personal rooms. The rooms are a good size, the wardrobes are adequate, there is room under the bed for storage boxes, and the desk is huge. There are more than plenty sockets. Because the rent is all inclusive, WiFi and heating are included in the room. You can control the heating in your room (which is great, until, like our flat and the ones above and below, the boiler goes out of service for over a week...but this also affects the shower and kitchen etc.) and once you sign in to the WiFi you can use it throughout the flat. The outside bin areas (shared by a lot of flats) had rats when I was there in 2015/2016. It isn't the longest walk from campus, but it is still at the top of the hill. Despite a lot of negatives, it is the cheapest option, and as long as you keep requesting (repeatedly and loudly if needs be) maintenance, you should be fine if you don't mind sharing a bathroom and a small kitchen.

I really really loved living in the Vale Village in my first year - it is perfectly located so you can get to main campus in under 15 minutes, and the scenery was second to none! Nothing better than a walk around the lake when you're hungover on your way to grab a pizza from the Duck and Scholar. TC till i die.

The Vale overall is great and I would fully recommend it. The setting is beautiful with the lake, you feel really safe and it's only 15 minutes walk to campus. I was in Mason halls which are really nice and well equipped. The only thin I'd say is for what you are paying there isn't much storage in the room and there's no table in the kitchen which is a bit annoying. My flat wasn't that sociable but i think that was just unfortunate as most people i know got on really well with their flatmates and did loads of stuff together. The Vale has everything you need with places to do laundry, a pub/bar, a little shop, outdoor picnic tables and parking available if you get a permit.

In Mason halls.: The room was a great size with a convenient en suit bathroom. The kitchen also was fully equipped however the lounge section could have been better as the sofas and table were inconvenient. The location was fantastic with a huge lake and grass which was a beautiful view and only a short walk to campus or public transport to town. The social experience was also ideal as all the halls were together with the hub in the centre being ideal for meeting friends and hanging out.

Chamberlain Hall at The Vale Village is a new, albeit not perfect place to live. The construction quality is poor, the fittings and fixtures are cheap, and there were a huge array of issues during my time in the hall. The building is situated a long way away from anything else, up a hill. The only food and shops available nearby are extremely expensive and vastly overpriced.

I was in Maple Bank, in the Vale Village. It is currently the cheapest accommodation and was well worth the money. It was a very basic and standard living space but it had everything you needed and the most lively social atmosphere. I met a lot of my friends there who I still am goo friends with now and was one of the best parts of my university first year. The Vale Village has such a safe atmosphere too and beautiful green grounds, as well as a large lake to walk around and admire. The walk to campus is quite long compared to other universities and accommodations but I grew to love it! It was good exercise and a good time to let your mind wander but also where you saw many of your friends walking to or back from campus.

Stayed in Elgar court. Excellent hall with en suite and a nice kitchen. Has a nice lake and close laundry service. However, is located quite distant from the university.