University of Exeter Halls of Residence Information

Coordinates: 50°44′06″N 3°32′02″W / 50.735°N 3.534°W / 50.735; -3.534

In 2011 the Halls of Residence for the University of Exeter in the city of Exeter, Devon, England, have just over 5,000 student residential places, including 3,426 in self-catering purpose-built flats and houses and 1,656 in catered accommodation.

The first accommodation for students was in the city centre during the first years of the 20th century, and the first purpose-built hall was Mardon Hall, opened in 1933.

The university developed from the 19th century Royal Albert Memorial College, and by 1902 it was apparent that accommodation was needed for the female students and a house in Castle Street, Exeter was being privately run as a hostel for them. In 1906 the city council bought the house, extended it and renamed it as Bradninch Hall. Catering for 78 women students, it was the colleges first hall of residence. During the First World War, Bradninch Hall was used as a Red Cross hospital and the students were moved to Hartwell House and two houses in Pennsylvania Road. After being extended in the 1920s, Hartwell House subsequently became Hope Hall (see below), and the Pennsylvania Road properties became Kilmorie Hall.

Also in 1902 two houses in St. Davids Hill were leased by the Diocesan Council for Religious Education as a hostel for female students. Known as Sandford Hall, it was taken over by the university college for two years from 1946. In 1904 the college rented a field known as Grâs Lawn in Barrack Road, east of the city centre. The college bought the field in 1912, intending it to be used for a hall of residence for male students, but this never occurred and the land was sold for housing in 1999.

In the early 1920s Reed Hall and two houses in Grendon Road were acquired to accommodate male students.

The student population of Exeters Halls of residence are represented both to the University and within the Guild by the Halls Presidents Executive Committee, on which all elected Halls Presidents sit for their entire term of study. The Committee was founded in 2011 by Charlie Griffin, formerly the President of Exeter Halls.

The Exeter Halls, on Streatham Campus, are Hope Hall, Lopes Hall, Kilmorie Hall, Pennsylvania Court, Ransom Pickard, Lazenby and their annexes. James Owen Court is also a part of Exeter Halls, although it is self catered, and therefore not generally considered. The combined student total is around 700. Between them, Exeter Halls are the most oversubscribed halls on campus, with (on average) 3 applications per place (2011). The Exeter Halls Committee, with each hall represented by their own hall rep, is chaired by Exeter Halls President. Annual turnover is estimated to be around £30,000, at least half of which is spent on the Exeter Halls Summer Ball. Exeter Halls also hosts three annual formal events: Election Ball, Yule Ball, and Spring Ball. Both the current and incoming Guild Presidents are old-Exeter Hallsians.

Hope Hall accommodated around 60 students in three converted family homes. Originally opened in 1915 as an all-girls residence and named Hartwell House, it was reopened and renamed as Hope Hall in 1925 by the Duke and Duchess of York after Helena Hope, due to her generous donations. A painting of Helena Hope hangs in the main foyer. The hall was visited by Queen Mary in 1938.

Hope Hall has picturesque grounds that are just across the lawn from Lazenby, which itself accommodated around 18 students. Both buildings have features such as original fireplaces, antique wall hangings and ceiling decorations.

Containing a TV room, laundry facilities and a bar called The Badger (in use intermittently as of 2010[update]), the hall was a catered residence with a small kitchenette on each floor. It had until recently, an operating dining room in which its annexe buildings, Lazenby, Byrne House (formerly Montefiore, now office space for Egenis, the Centre for the Study of Life Sciences) and Spreytonway (now derelict), all dined in. Now the room is used as a social space, in particular for dance societies.

In 2013, Hope Hall and Lazenby were both refurbished to provide additional office and research space for university staff. As of 2014, Hope Hall accommodates research and administrative staff from the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, postgraduate students of the Business School and the Health, Safety and Environment Office. The Badger Bar in Hope Hall remains as a social and networking space and the dining room is an open plan office for the business school.

Similar plans to convert Spreytonway have been shelved for financial reasons. The building is in a deteriorating state - as of 2015 the glass has been removed from the verandas for safety, slates have slipped from the roof and the plaster on lath ceiling has collapsed in one upstairs room visible through a window. Services have been switched off. Spreytonways yard and outbuildings remain in use by the grounds maintenance team and as parking for the universitys minibus fleet. Spreytonway is a locally listed building and is classified as having a positive contribution to townscape in the universitys 2010 Streatham Campus Master Plan Framework.

Lopes (pronounced "Lopez") Hall was originally a large Victorian Gothic villa known as "Highlands", built in 1866. After the University bought it and the surrounding seven acres of land in 1930, the architect E. Vincent Harris added a brick Queen Anne-style extension and it was opened by United States Ambassador Robert Bingham in October 1933, for women students only. It is named after Henry Lopes, 1st Baron Roborough who was president of the college.

Today Lopes Hall consists of a main building and two annexes, and contains the main Exeter Halls reception, a common room and a library. The main building consists of the Old House (Nunnery) and the Main Wing. It now houses around 100, both male and female first year students with shared bathrooms and spacious rooms.

Pennsylvania Court (Penny C) was finished in 2004. In contrast to the traditional appearance of the rest of Exeter Halls, Pennsylvania Court is more modern, in both its appearance and facilities. It contains 4-star en-suite accommodation including balconies, heated towel rails and double beds. Housing around 180 students, Pennsylvania Court is generally the most oversubscribed hall on campus.

Ransom Pickard was built in the 1960s, but completely refurbished in 2008. It is known by all as Randy P. Ransom Pickard is separated into two blocks, A and B, joined by a central staircase. These two blocks are in turn separated into three floors, each of which has space for 16 people. There are four double rooms to a floor and eight single rooms. Ransom Pickard has single beds, a desk, wardrobe and sink to each room and since the refurbishment now falls under the category of single enhanced in terms of accommodation.

In 2005, Birks Grange, formerly Birks Halls (1966–2004), completed a multimillion-pound redevelopment with the residential block being completely rebuilt and the central block being redesigned and renovated. The central block was equipped with a new porters lodge, a modern canteen and a renovated hall bar named The Boot, and a shop. Birks Grange has accessible rooms for people with disabilities. The senior resident tutor is Sam Goodman.

Birks Grange now encompasses Moberly House (standard rooms), and together make up the largest hall in the University of Exeter with 360 undergraduates in Birks Grange and 152 in Moberly. The colours for Birks Grange is blue, whilst that of Moberly House is green. The main motto is "Together we stand",[clarification needed] whilst each hall has a slogan that identifies itself. The informal slogan for Birks Grange is currently "Best legs on Campus" - due to Cardiac Hill, the steep path leading up from Birks Grange to the campus. The motto for Birks is "Excelsior" (Ever Upward),[clarification needed] and the informal slogan for Moberly House is "Last one standing", which refers to the last remaining hall of the recently demolished Duryard Halls.

Building works were completed in September 2011 providing en-suite, enhanced and studio self-catered accommodation on the hills opposite Birks Grange and the green area between the central block and the catered blocks to accommodate for more than 800 students. The halls have collectively become known as Birks Grange Village. The university hopes that these brand new halls will enable them to increase student intake, and thus maintain the institutions 9th-place ranking within the country.

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