Why is Warwick University in Coventry?

Anyone who has been to look around Warwick University will be painfully aware that, well, it’s in Coventry. Right? Well, kind of. We’ve got the answer you need if you’re wondering why Warwick University is in Coventry!

Is the university actually in Coventry?

Yes. After World War II, the idea for a university in Coventry gained traction in local councillors discussions, but it was often discarded. Until the county of Warwickshire got involved too. The university is technically in Coventry, but also Warwickshire. The campus is pretty much exactly split in half between the two locations, with the boundary running through it. The very first buildings were built on a 400-acre site jointly granted by both the Coventry and Warwickshire councils.

  This weird split is because when the university was discussed, both local authorities aided in its construction and land. There was, of course, a discussion of which city got to be the namesake for the new university, but eventually, the university was aligned with Warwick, despite the fact it is 8 miles from the city.

What’s the university been doing since opening?

The university received its Royal Charter of Incorporation in 1965. In 1964, the University of Warwick took its first undergraduate students, taking a larger intake of 450 undergrads in the following October. This has continued to grow, with approximately 23,570 students now doing their degrees at the University of Warwick. Around a third of the university’s students come from overseas, with a whopping 120 countries represented on campus.

These students have a wealth of resources available to them, with 29 academic departments and over 50 research centres and institutes. The university has been placed in the top 10 for research, and are rated Silver in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

What are the misconceptions?

People seem to think that the University of Warwick is in Coventry entirely, and chose its name in order to prevent association from the heavily-bombed, industrial Coventry. The city is often given a bad name for it’s history and size, and in comparison to Warwick (which has a literal castle) people assume it’s just a marketing ploy! But no, the university is in Coventry and Warwickshire. Which may not quit be Warwick but it’s close enough. Plus, with the university purchasing more land every now and then, to provide more room for buildings, halls and their ever-growing student population, it may well reach Warwick eventually!

What is there to do in Coventry and Warwickshire?

 

If you end up going to the University of Warwick, one plus side of this bizarre boundary is that you’re close enough to both cities (and the county of Warwickshire) to explore both!

Warwickshire

• Warwick Castle
• Mill Gardens
• Royal Leamington Spa
• Kenilworth Castle
• Warwick Arts Center
• Smith Street
• Warwick Folk Festival

Coventry

If you’d rather go to the closest city, check out the best restaurants, clubs, date nights and things to do in Coventry!