The Vale Village

Excellent accomodation with all students around I stayed at chamberlain. Very pricey at 7800 but like living in a hotel. Some good food facilites but not many shops around. Just a costcutters on the vale.

Maple bank is where I stayed for my first year. It needs a lot of work doing to it to be honest, we were left without hot water for weeks on end and the maintenance people would come to fix it only for it to break 3 days later. The rooms are a modest size and the kitchen is nothing special. You live in a flat of 5 and have no say of who you’re with so be prepared to meet some strangers! There are two bathrooms, one with a toilet and one with both toilet and shower and these are both really tiny, as well as having to be shared between all 5 of you. It can be really annoying when you are waiting to use the shower behind 4 other people, so if you are not good with having to share and be patient I would probably splash out a bit more and get your own en suite, particularly if this isn’t your first experience of living away from home. That being said, maple bank for me was only £80 a week, all bills and really speedy internet included so you don’t have to worry about sorting out the splitting of bills. For your money you save a great deal despite the compromises you make, like the shared bathroom. Particularly in second year you’re going to have to share bathrooms with people anyway unless you want to pay a fortune, so it’s good practice to start learning from the offset of how to deal socially with a big house. The best thing about maple bank I see undeniably the night life. It’s renowned for being the party halls of the uni, as well as tennis courts which is further down the road, and every night there will be a pres amongst any of the blocks. If you aren’t the partied perhaps it’s not for you. Be prepared to walk to uni, it’s about 20-30 mins to get to the centre of campus and if you are on the drama campus in selly probably about an hour and 15 mins or so, so perhaps get the bus. They will probably tell you a bus goes through the halls for transport but thats a lie so I wouldn’t wouldnt listen, you’ll have to walk to the public bus stop and wait for the correct bus. But the vale is so pretty and you get to celebrate with the incredible festival valefest at the end of the year. For the money you save and the experience you gain, maple bank is by far the best halls and I miss it so much! So make sure you make the most of it, with any of the halls that you pick, because first year is the year to do everything you can before the real crux of University life begins. Enjoy and good luck!

Lit place to live, thousands of other students live there. Only accommodation to be at if studying first year at university of Birmingham.

The Vale is the best place to live for University of Birmingham students! It’s so central, and a massive hub for freshers. It is a 20-25 minute walk to campus, depending on where you’re based on the Vale. I was in Mason which I loved! It was really clean and modern, the rooms were a perfect size with ensuite bathrooms. The food is really varied and there are a couple of places you’re able to eat on meal plan. It’s very lively and there’s a bar on site, the Duck and Scholar, where they host various events and evenings.

Maple Bank - cheap, good value for money. Small kitchen but not really needed as meal plan is included, although too small for social life/pre-drinks. Good landing space for pre-drinks between 3 flats. Meal plan is expensive and food not always good.

The location is really good. You are a 10-15 min walk from the university centre which is close enough to walk but far enough that the vale feels like it’s own separate community. We have our own pub and restaurants and a few laundrettes. There are lots of beautiful green trees around the park and a huge pond to walk or jog around. My room is very spacious and has a huge desk and a lovely pinboard for notes. The social experience is not to be missed. Everyone is so happy to be in the vale and there is never a time when you have to be alone when so many students are nearby.

Shackleton was the best halls, very sociable and good value for money. Shackleton was the best halls, very sociable and good value for money.Shackleton was the best halls, very sociable and good value for money.Shackleton was the best halls, very sociable and good value for money.

Flats tend to be between 5-6 which works really well. Lovely big and bright kitchens which made socialising really easy in freshers and because the social hub of the flat. The rooms are a good size, with a great sized desk. Sharing a bathroom is not as bad as you expect, with two toilets and one shower between 5 works really well. Very social halls, make life long friends.

Great value for money, £115 a week, shared bathrooms and kitchen with 5 lovely girls. The Vale hub is close by for quick groceries, the scenery is great, a small lake which you are able to walk/jog around. Ideal location and easy to get to uni within 10/15 minutes walk. Great for making friends due to being so close to other university accommodation. University room was perfect size, the Kitchen and chill out area were very sociable too.

Incredible, the halls were homely, I met so many great people, who I'm still friends with to this day

lovely atmosphere, nice accomodationc showers are blocked though and it’s a far walk to campus. I really like the people and the layout.

I live in Shackleton on the Vale, and I, overall have had a positive experience. As for the Vale overall, it is a lovely place to live. The student village surrounded by trees and a lake in Edgbaston, which is one of the nicer and safer places in Birmingham, is both picturesque and useful. Its also the most social place, and I am glad to live here as a fresher, as freshers who don't live on the vale don't seem to have many friends. However in comparison to Selly Oak and Prittchats Park is one of the furthest accomodation zones to walk from, the furthest away walking for 25-20 mins. If I speed walk I can get from my flat to seminar in 20 mins, which isn't too bad but not ideal. The Vale has so many different accomodation options, which I loved, both shared and ensuite rooms, catered and self-catered in a variety of different sizes. I chose ensuite at Shackleton as the rooms were quite big, with big kitchens but I liked the independence of an ensuite bathroom. The pull of Shackleton was being so close to the hub, I only had to go down a floor to get food for meal plan, and costcutter, cash machine, the pub (duck and scholar) etc, and I do love this. However I wasn't expecting the building to be as it was. As it is so old, there are frequent mould/condensation/damp issues, and the hot water has gone off a couple of times, and it is often cold with poor radiators. Shackleton is expensive enough I do now wish I just paid the extra bit to live in Chamberlain and have new good quality rooms with bigger beds! I do love the meal plan aspect, I'm not a huge cook and the flexibilty of £56 on my student card to spend all over campus and the Vale is really great. Overall I do like living here, I'd live on the Vale again and could live in Shackleton, but it hasnt been perfect.

Halls were cheap which was good, but the kitchen was very small. However I was on meal plan so this wasn’t a massive issue. Halls were too far away from shops however and also far from uni. I felt their could’ve been more on offer on the vale. The bar on site was very poor. Also no lounge / common area in halls made it hard to hang out.

The kitchen space is of a good space, allowing it to be used for social interactions. The rooms are also of good size, however the ensuite option does limit room size. In Mason, there is good space with adequate storage for clothes on racks, in cupboards as well as under the bed.

Love the uni halls life as all u mates are so close to you. It’s a beautiful area but the kitchens in mason aren’t built very well. For example the door of cupboards were missing and skirting boards have come away from the walls. The rooms are great tho as it’s nice to have your own bathroom

Very sociable with all the accommodation centred around the lake. Nice green areas for summer and the accommodation is well kept.

Great experience here! But of a walk to campus but less walk8ng into the city or broad street for the nightlife. Room is a reasonable size and the hallway makes a great social space. Would recommend

These halls provide an overall fantastic experience for any 1st year student. The environment is fun and friendly with excellent all round facilities to equip every individual with what they need/want from university life.

Very sociable place to live, definitely a community feeling. Takes 10-25 minutes to get to campus depending on where exactly you live. The flats are nice and spacious enough, the only reason I give it less is because we've had a lot of problems with our boiler, heating, hot water and WiFi which has been really annoying.

Mason Hall was amazing. Best in my day. The flat itself is spacious and the rooms are pretty big. Only issue is - no door to the bathroom, it’s a slider wardrobe door that covers the wet room. Issue #2 - a wet room. Other than that, amazing social life and best halls

Quite a trek from the city centre, but cheap buses are available until late at night. Getting back from a night out may be expensive due to the use of an uber. But it's a really nice facility. The kitchen/living space has plenty of room to hold all of my flatmates, and it's a very chilled out atmosphere that is very warm and welcoming.

Mason is one of the pricier halls but not worth it, halls like tennis court or victoria are more sociable and better value

I was in Elgar Court, which is at the top of the vale village. It is quite a long walk onto campus every morning. Additionally Elgar doesn’t have its own washing facilities so you have to walk to either chamberlain or maple bank.. the rooms were standard, quite spacious with a single bed. They do have an ensuite which is very useful. Maintenance do seem to take a while to respond though if you have an issue. It is also on meal plan which I personally found quite unhelpful as I had sports and then after training the only thing open was the pizza place.

It is great for social life and is a beautiful park with lovely wildlife and atmosphere. It could be a little closer to campus.