Writtle University College and ARU have merged. Writtle’s full range of college, degree, postgraduate and short courses will still be delivered on the Writtle campus. See our guide to finding Writtle information on this site.

Welcome to Writtle

You’ll find our Writtle campus on the edge of the charming village of Writtle, in the middle of the Essex countryside.

Set among 150 hectares of open fields, farmland and landscaped gardens, the campus features a host of specialist teaching facilities and classrooms, and attractive buildings including the ivy-covered Main Building and Hall.

Come and see for yourself: book your place at an Open Day.

Campus highlights

In Writtle, we offer courses in agriculture, horticulture, animal management and care, sport and wellbeing.

As well as undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses, there's a range of further education courses, CPD and hobby courses, and degree apprenticeships.

Some of the highlights of the campus include:

  • a campus farm that's home to sheep, pigs and cattle – and grows its own wheat to support livestock bedding
  • Equine Training and Development Centre featuring stabling for up to 92 horses, riding arenas and a therapy barn
  • DIY Livery Yard where students can stable their own horses
  • Lordship Canine Centre including a therapy clinic with hydrotherapy pool, dog grooming centre, and kennels block
  • the Titchmarsh Centre which is home to a range of reptiles, birds and small mammals
  • dedicated Science Centre with labs, teaching spaces and a veterinary nursing clinical skills area
  • glass houses
  • floristry room
  • Centre of Sport and Health with a strength and conditioning area, and sport science lab
  • library with a specialist book and online journal collection, and a learning hub
  • plenty of places to eat, drink and socialise
  • a range of services including the Students’ Union, sports facilities, a wellbeing hub, multi-faith room, and accommodation office.

A great place to study

In its peaceful countryside location, Writtle is a great place to be. It offers plenty of outdoor space, a friendly and supportive community, and loads of social activities.

As well as university students, many living in halls on campus, you'll meet college students, adult learners and professional learners here.

The campus is home to students of agriculture, horticulture, animal management and science, canine therapy, sport science, conservation, and equine science.

It's a great mix and, whatever you choose to study, you'll be able to work towards your ambitions.

Student life in Writtle

If you’re a first-year undergraduate, you may live on campus in one of the Halls. Students love the fact they’re just a few minutes away from all the action whether that’s lectures, cafes, the library or Students’ Union fun.

Meanwhile, Writtle village is a short walk away and Chelmsford city centre just ten minutes by car or campus shuttle bus.

Here's an overview of some of the facilities and events on campus.

You'll find several great places to eat and socialise on the Writtle campus. Here's a quick look at what's on offer.

Garden Room and Starbucks

The Garden Room is the main campus restaurant serving a variety of meals, snacks and drinks throughout the day. With inside and outside seating next to the landscaped gardens, it's a great place to relax.

  • Breakfast: Starbucks is open from 8am-4pm Monday-Friday (closed 2-2.30pm) serving Grab & Go breakfast items, hot and cold drinks, pastries, sandwiches, panini, cakes and confectionery.
  • Lunch: the Garden Room is open from 11.45am-2pm Monday-Friday, serving hot lunches including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. A daily jacket potato and pasta bar is available, along with a salad bar. Hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, snacks and confectionery are also available.
  • Dinner: the Garden Room re-opens from 4.45pm-6.30pm Monday-Friday, serving hot dinners for resident students, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Light bites, drinks and snacks are also available.

The Garden Room is also open for Saturday brunch and Sunday lunch during higher education term times.

Thyme Out

Also on the main campus, Thyme Out is open 8am-3pm Monday-Friday. It offers Grab & Go breakfast items, pastries, sandwiches, panini, cakes, confectionery and hot and cold drinks. At lunchtime burgers, wraps, pizza, chips and pastries are available.

Thyme Out has indoor and outdoor seating.

College Baa

Or 'bar', if you prefer. This is the social hub of the Writtle community, and it plays host to Freshers' Week events, weekly themed nights, the Christmas Ball, and the renowned Summer Ball. There's a beer garden too which is popular during the Spring and Summer months.

The Watering Hole

For students based at Cow Watering Campus, the Watering Hole is open 8.30am-1.30pm Monday/Wednesday/Friday, and 8.30am-2pm Tuesday/Thursday.

It offers Grab & Go breakfast items, hot and cold drinks, pastries, sandwiches, panini and cakes. At lunchtime you can buy burgers, wraps, pizza, chips and pastries. There's also a vending machine if you want to grab a quick treat.

There's always something happening on campus at Writtle, with the College Baa (bar) and student-led societies being great places to socialise and meet new people.

Student societies

There's a wide range of student-led clubs and societies which welcome new members. They're a great way to settle in to life at Writtle and meet like-minded people.

All societies are supported by the Students' Union, which organises a busy calendar of social events.

Social events

The Students' Union social officers at Writtle are always thinking up ideas to make sure your time is as fun as possible. From Freshers' Fest to the annual Summer Ball, there'll be something for everyone.

Nearly all the social events that happen on campus take place in The Baa, which is on the main campus and features:

  • a dancefloor
  • pool table
  • cinema projector screen for live sports and movies
  • beer garden.

Every week, The Baa plays host to Mega Mondays, a weekly themed event that could range from 90s nights to Luau parties, and everything in between.

Some of the social highlights of the academic year are:

  • Freshers Fest: your first week at Writtle is all about getting to know the campus and the nearby city of Chelmsford. There's a Freshers' Fair, themed party nights, film nights, and trips to venues in Chelmsford such as EVOKE nightclub, Jump Street and bowling. The week ends with a Freshers' Ball on Friday night.
  • Winter Ball: celebrate the first half of the year. Usually held at the end of first semester or in Re-Freshers Week in January, this is one of the more formal events and celebrates the halfway mark in the academic year.
  • RAG events: across the year there'll be fun events going on to help raise money for charity. Known as RAG events, they have in the past featured barbecues, quizzes and parties.
  • Summer Ball: by far the biggest event social event in Writtle's calendar, it celebrates the end of exams and the academic year. Join in for music, fairground rides and more...

Off campus

Away from campus there are several restaurants in Writtle village, and loads of places to go in Chelmsford including cinemas, theatres, restaurants, clubs and bars, and music venues.

On Wednesdays, the Writtle Students' Union runs buses to EVOKE 2.0 nightclub in Chelmsford, where Writtle students get VIP and free entry. EVOKE also offers free entry and VIP to Writtle students for their Saturday Club.

If you stay on campus over the weekend, the Students' Union is starting to run more activities such as day trips to London. Keep an eye out for more information when you start at Writtle.

All students in Writtle can make use of the sport and fitness facilities on campus. There's something for everyone.

Campus gym and recreation centre

At the heart of the Writtle campus, the recreation centre features a gym, two squash courts, a sports hall and a fitness suite with running machines, exercise bikes, rowing machines and a free-weights area. There's also a range of fitness classes on offer.

Sports fields and clubs

If you're interested in playing competitively, consider joining one of Writtle's sports clubs. They're a great place to meet like-minded people, work on your fitness and achieve personal goals. Clubs at Writtle currently include netball, women's rugby, men' rugby, women's hockey and mixed equine.

All of the clubs' home fixtures take place on the extensive sports fields. Some clubs also compete in BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) competition.

Social sport

As well as competitive sport clubs, Writtle runs Sport Wednesdays every week: perfect if you just want to have some fun and try new things.

Activities vary and may range from dodgeball and kwik cricket, to bench ball. No experience is needed, and everyone's welcome.

Horse riding

There's good local hacking around the Writtle area. If you're using the DIY Livery Yard for your horse(s), you'll have access to all Equine Centre facilities when not in timetabled sessions, including three indoor arenas, a floodlit outdoor manége, oval horse-walker, and hacking on campus.