Information for Prospective Students
30% (475sq km) of London's surface area is parkland, including eight royal parks
London
From learning to literature, art to architecture, science to sport, history to pop culture and enterprise to governance, London has it all.
At UCL, you don’t just learn it, you can live it
The resources for learning you can enjoy in London are many and varied:
- with its countless libraries, archives, cultural spaces and professional bodies, this is the perfect place to find context and support for your studies
- London houses 385 public libraries and nearly a third of all the archives in the UK, from the world-famous British and Guildhall Libraries and British Newspaper Archives at Colindale to the National Collections at Kew
- free lectures, workshops and exhibitions are offered by institutions like the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Royal Institution and the Wellcome Collection
- History of Art students are often taught in galleries, directly in front of the works under discussion
- Arts and Humanities students benefit from a wealth of cinemas and theatres.
A treasure trove of history, culture and art
London offers you an unrivalled range of museums, galleries and collections and, what’s more, many of them are free. For example:
- world-famous art galleries like the National Gallery, Tate Modern and Tate Britain, as well as smaller modern art galleries such as the Whitechapel, Saatchi or White Cube
- renowned museums including the British, Victoria and Albert (V&A), Natural History, Design and Science Museums, as well as lesser-known collections like the Hunterian Museum (surgical history), the Horniman Museum (anthropology), the Cartoon Museum and Dr Johnson’s House
- mixed performance and exhibition spaces such as the Barbican, the Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Southbank Centre
- the Museum of London, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and walking tours around the neighbourhoods of Charles Dickens or Jack the Ripper.
All of London's a stage
- The world-famous West End offers a huge variety of plays and musicals. There are open-air theatres or the British Film Institute on the Southbank
- cinemas abound, from the big names at Leicester Square and the Prince Charles cinema which is well-known for cheap screenings, to the Renoir for arthouse films and the National Film Theatre on the Southbank
- rock and pop venues include pubs and clubs in places like Camden and Shoreditch, gig circuit staples like the Roundhouse and O2 Academy Brixton and larger venues such as the O2 Arena and Wembley Stadium
- there are clubs for dancing, such as Fabric, Heaven and Cargo
- classical music and opera lovers can enjoy performances at the Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Kings Place, Barbican and Royal Opera House.
Participate or spectate
Play or watch your favourite sport? Spend your leisure time at a leisurely pace?
Whatever you love to do, London spoils you for choice. Why don’t you try:
- Premier League football, cricket at the Oval or Lord’s, rugby at Twickenham, the London Marathon (run every April), tennis at Wimbledon
- one of London’s many green spaces, from local parks and gardens to world-famous sites including: Regent’s Park, Hyde Park or Kew Gardens.
Page last modified on 15 mar 13 12:29
Request page update l Request printed information l Disclaimer
Page maintained by Publications and Marketing Services
