The Vale Village

Location is decent, a little further from the main campus than I'd like (15-20 min walk) but it's definitely worth the greenery and the lake. It's very pretty and safe to walk around at night. I really like my room, is very modern and light and there's plenty of storage space. The kitchen is not that nice (could do with a proper sofa/ living area) but it's functional and since we have a meal plan catered thing, doesn't matter too much. The catering is good, can eat anywhere on campus and get £56 loaded on the card each week and therefore there's lots of variety and the food is pretty good. Only issue is there aren't a lot of healthy options.

Good location, easily within walking distance of uni, walking to Selly Oak slightly more arduous if you want to visit the real student hub of the uni. Good facilities, the Duck and Scholar is a great student pub, and the laundry room was excellent. Really good ensuite room with plenty of space, and a great communal area; perfect for socialising. In first year the vale village is a great place to be!

I stayed in chamberlain on the vale, the halls were lovely very new and modern with a 3/4 bed and an en-suite although it wasn't the most social of halls. The location was perfect a 10/15 minute walk away from campus and a 5 minute drive into town.

On the vale there are great facilities..places to eat...fresh air and open space for the summer..Great people..definitely a place to enjoy first year

Good location on the vale as in between walking to the city centre and walking to university. Ensuite and 3/4 bed are nice. Walls are thin which can lead to some issues with noise. Kitchen layout means it can be quite unsocial. Loud at night especially on particular nights.

I lived in tennis courts, the place is fine and all if you get to live with similar people. However it’s very clubby which is great for some but not when you want to get some sleep once in a while. Annoying grass cutting early morning often waking everyone up and weekly fire alarm checks.

I lived in Tennis Courts on the Vale Village in my first year and it was amazing! The social life was great, the flats were perfect, with a reasonable communal area in each flat and decent sized rooms! Couldn't have asked for better first year accommodation!

Location is great and set up of Tennis courts makes it very social. Mason has a less social layout and is more expensive. Student accommodation services are also great at sorting out any flatmate problems!

Maple bank was small but cosy, really sociable and the best value accommodation there is. Few maintenance issues but they get sorted quite quickly and location is perfect. WiFi always worked and you’re close to both uni and the city centre . Would definitely recommend if looking for something cheap and basic but isn’t bad quality.

The accommodation was very good value and very close to campus and to all the facilities I needed to use on a daily basis. All the people I met in these halls were very friendly and easy to get along with and I have made some really close friends as a result.

The best year of my life. I was catered and this made my first year a lot easier. I made fantastic friends and then property was clean and any maintenance issues were fixed quickly.

The vale is great - right next to all the other first years, really close to the duck and scholar pub and the actual accomadation is clean and really nice

Chamberlain accommodation. The location is pretty much ideal with catering, laundry, costcutter and the duck and scholar (pub) all within the accommodation. It is also only a 15 to 20 minute walk to the university. The facilities are also practical, with large social kitchens with comfy sofas and enough room for all of the flat to cook, clean and eat. However, i found it isn't the most homely feeling accomidation. Rooms are all differently sized and the curtains are hideous!!! The ensuite is very handy although showers are a little on the small side. I also found the rooms were pretty chilly during the winter. Worst part of chamberlain- meal plan. DONT DO IT.

I was in Mason accommodation. The location of Mason accommodation is perfect. The walk to uni only takes 15 minutes, 10 for those with long legs and it's only 3 minutes away from the costcutter, below Shackleton. It's also right in front of the vale lake which makes for a perfect view and lovely spot for revision and picnics in the summer. Mason facilities are also good. The kitchen has just about enough fridge and freezer space for all 6 people in the flat. The sofa space makes for a great area for you and your flat to congregate socially without having to sit on kitchen chairs. I would say the layout of the kitchen isn't the best due to the bench table that goes around the wall- not very social. However, you end up 'make doing' with just eating with the food on your lap with your friends on the sofas. It's also great that the bin collection area is just on the bottom floor of each block, meaning there's no real trek with a bin bag that's way too full. The social experience living in Mason is also something that I've heard being doubted in the past but personally I had a great experience. The stairs make a great communal meeting place. Daily you'd open your door to chats happening between flats as they met on the stairs. Many block parties and 'pres' happened. Finally, the prom you get in Mason is just about perfect. There's 2 windows in each room which makes for a really bright uni room. Also, thankfully, you don't end up with any horrid uni accommodation curtains but blinds instead- much appreciated, thanks Mason. If you're lucky enough you may even get the scenic view of the lake! The en-suite is very handy, although the wet room can be bit of a pain at times- would advise bringing flip flops to avoid the wet socks issues. There is definitely more than enough desk space although I would say wardrobe space is on the smaller size. Overall, I was very happy in Mason accommodation- go for it.

The vale is so beautiful, we have our own lake ?!?!? Tennis Courts is lit, best value for money. Meal plan is a rip off, Chamberlain leaks all the time.

The vale village is a sociable, pretty and lovely place to live. I was in Tennis Courts accommodation which was affordable, sociable and comfortable, if slightly noisy at times. I had a single bed and shared bathrooms, both of which were very nice. Overall my experience was great.

The vale is a sociable, pretty and peaceful place to live. I was in Tennis Court accommodation which was affordable and comfortable, if slightly noisy at times. My room had a single bed and was decently sized. Overall, my experience was fantastic.

Nice location and area to walk around, convenient to get to city centre on the bus as the bus stop is right outside mason and tennis courts.

I feel like the tennis courts accommodation I stayed in is overpriced for what it is, shared bathrooms and dampness in some of the bedrooms

You would never expect such a beautiful location for students on campus. It feels like a fairy tale vale and has all the facilities one needs. A bonus is that it’s only 15 minutes from campus.

The room is okay, the location is quite useful in terms of getting to local shops and to the university and the social experience is average, could be improved with a wider range of cultures.

Tennis Courts in the Vale is an ideal place to get yo know those living around you. The fact that the uni halls is made out of block means you build strong friendships with at least 30 people. Making night outs always a large affair.

The Vale is one of the prettiest university accommodation locations I have seen. If you plan on coming to UoB, its important to try and get on the Vale as its the centre of the 1st year social scene, although its not the end of the world if not. The location is about 20 min walk to campus and 40 minute walk into town, or 15 minutes to five ways station. I was in Chamberlain Hall, Block A and the rooms are very big with a lot utility. They're very expensive and the social life is not great. I would recommend Tennis Courts.

Tennis Court Green Community Rooms are pretty tiny for the price and the flat only has 4 people so only the one toilet/bathroom facility which is again disappointing considering the price. Kitchen is alright sized and pretty well designed. Socially, green community is great since a lot of people can get to know each other well. WiFi keeps turning off for about a min every hour or so which can be pretty annoying. The limit of 3 devices for WiFi is also not ideal :( it’s often very hard to get to the other side of the road out of the accommodation due to the constant traffic.