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Spend a day walking through our campus and exploring the city
Our port city has always been a gateway. And we’re at its heart. Begin your journey of discovery now and get closer to a place that’s buzzing with purpose and possibility.
If you can't make it to an Open Day or you'd like to take another look around, this self-guided tour will give you a feel for the campus and the city.
Bookmark this page to follow the route below or download for a more detailed itinerary. You can use our locations page to find the addresses of these buildings.
With your next step, everything changes. Take a walk into your future.
Campus Walking Tour | ºÚÁϳԹÏ
Louise Bradley
Welcome to the ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï Campus Walking Tour.
Newton Okwuoha
This introduction to some of our key buildings will give you a flavour of what you can expect living and studying in Portsmouth’s city campus and show you just how easy it is to get around. We start here outside Ravelin Sports Centre, a brand new facility which includes an eight court sports hall.
Louise Bradley
A 25 metre swimming pool, squash courts, fitness suites, a climbing wall and even a ski simulator.
Connor Munro-Flanagan
There's more to the library than books. We have over 750 computers and laptops available for use, social study spaces, a café, and we're open 24 hours during term time.
Matilda Ben-Agbo
Right next to the library is the Students’ Union, which offers a range of services, including student advice and also support. They also offer over 200 student-led activities, including the Entrepreneur Society, which I'm a part of. Big shout out to those guys.
Newton Okwuoha
Victoria house supports courses from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, including real-to-life crime scene rooms and forensic labs so that students can learn practical skills in a simulated environment.
Louise Bradley
This is University House. It's home to our Student Finance, Student Housing, our University’s Global team, as well as being one of our MyPort Hubs.
Connor Munro-Flanagan
At Careers and Employability, you can get support finding a job during your studies, get your CV checked and get advice on job applications, covering letters and interviews.
Matilda Ben-Agbo
We're now outside Trafalgar, a self-catered halls of residence with ensuite rooms organised as flats. Trafalgar is one of the 10 halls of residence which provide student accommodation in the city.
Newton Okwuoha
Each of them has their own flavour, so whether you’re looking for self-catered or catered, shared flats, studios, something in the heart of the city, or to be closer to the beach, there's something for everyone.
Louise Bradley
Eldon is home to our Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries, ranging from everything from Film and Media to Arts and Design, all the way to Journalism and Architecture.
Connor Munro-Flanagan
It's also home to our Centre for Creative and Immersive XR, a one-of-a-kind facility that supports innovation in augmented, extended and virtual realities.
Matilda Ben-Agbo
Within the Bateson Centre, you'll find the Academic Skills Support or ASK and also the Additional Support and Disability Advice, known as ASDAC. If you're having a hard time or need support, you can always reach out to our friendly team at the Student Wellbeing Service.
Newton Okwuoha
Right in the heart of the city, Guildhall Square is home to the Guildhall, which has hosted everyone from Jimmy Carr to the Kaiser Chiefs, as well as regular events and festivals throughout the year. The square even transforms into an ice-rink at Christmas.
Louise Bradley
Just round the corner is our historic Park Building, home to one of the UK's largest schools of languages and applied linguistics, as well as home to our largest lecture theatre on campus, making it a regular stop for students across the uni no matter what the course.
Connor Munro-Flanagan
In King Henry Building, you'll find the Department of Psychology and Biological Sciences and right next door in St Michael's, you'll find mock operating theatres, radiography suites and a model pharmacy for a truly immersive learning experience.
Matilda Ben-Agbo
White Swan Building is our creative hub for drama, theatre and all forms of live performances with three floors of rehearsal stages, a professional control room and a studio theatre.
Newton Okwuoha
Anglesea Building is home to the School of Mechanical Design Engineering and the School of Energy and Electronic Engineering. It includes manufacturing, metrology and power electronic labs as well as a 3D printing workshop. It's also home to the School of Law and its replica crown court.
Louise Bradley
We are now in the Northern Quarter. In Richmond Building our business courses get access to the Bloomberg Suite, which makes available data and software used by finance professionals globally. There's also the Business Simulation Suite and TEAL space, which merges lectures simulations and desktop experiments.
Connor Munro-Flanagan
Looking round the Northern Quarter, you'll also find Dennis Sciama, home to the internationally recognised Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation and Burnaby Building, home to the School of Environment, Geography and Geosciences. Also behind you'll find Buckingham Building and the department of Geography and the School of Computing.
Matilda Ben-Agbo
Here in Portland you'll find the School of Civil Engineering and Surveying and also our Future Technology Centre, which offers spaces to carry out experiments, debates and also explore ideas about the latest technology.
Newton Okwuoha
Lion Gate is the home to our Mathematics department but also our Maths Café, a free resource that offers health and advice in maths and statistics to all students on any course at the University.
Louise Bradley
As we head back towards the library we have Milldam Building, which is a former military barracks that now houses historical, social and literacy studies. We also have St George's building, which is home to the School of Education and Sociology and Institute of Criminal Justice Studies.
Matilda Ben-Agbo
And we're back. We love that our city and campus are a part of each other. No two buildings are more than a 20 minute walk from each other and in between lectures you can hang out with your friends at restaurants, cafés and shops.
Connor Munro-Flanagan
If you wanted to explore further on, we've got Gunwharf Quays, a waterfront shopping centre with 85 designer outlets, restaurants, a cinema and a bowling alley. Beyond that, you can walk down the seafront, across the common and onto the pier. Further out, you'll find the University's unique aquatic centre and research facilities for marine biology. If you want to explore outside the city, we have many bus links and stations just a minute’s walk from Guildhall and the heart of our campus.
Matilda Ben-Agbo
Thanks for joining us on our walking campus tour, please come and see ºÚÁϳԹÏin person by coming to one of our open days.
I loved the feel of the campus – almost all the teaching buildings are in the city centre, but you get the feel of a campus university because everything’s close by and interspersed with cafes, sports facilities and the library.
Holly Essen, MEng Mechanical Engineering
Start your day with breakfast
ºÚÁϳԹÏis a thriving city for small business. You'll find some of our favourite independent cafés below to fuel your day in Portsmouth.
So grab breakfast and then head to Guildhall Walk to begin your walking tour of campus.
Route part 1: The Guildhall campus
Route part 2: The Northern Quarter
Lunch break: Gunwharf Quays and the Historic Dockyard
Exit the Northern Quarter the same way you came in under the railway bridge and stop at the crossroads. If you head right, you'll reach Gunwharf Quays – packed with designer outlets, restaurants and the Spinnaker Tower. And a short walk further will take you to the Historic Dockyard.
Route part 3: Ravelin Park
Route part 4: Explore our halls
The rest of the day is yours...
Now you're back where you started, the rest of the day is yours. Eat out at our favourite restaurants, discover the incredible beaches, parks and piers on our doorstep or explore . If you're staying into the evening, we've even got a guides to our favourite nightlife spots and the best places to see live music in the city.
Places to eat in Portsmouth
Hungry for adventure? Here's a taster of the great food and drink you can savour in the city.
Beaches, piers and parks
ºÚÁϳԹÏis a bustling city with the sea on our doorstep and green spaces all around.
Art, culture and nightlife in Portsmouth
There's so much to see and do in ºÚÁϳԹÏ– from art galleries and museums, to nightclubs and late-night cafes
Portsmouth's music scene
Want to get involved in Portsmouth's music scene? Here's all you need to start.
I wanted a medium-sized city with proximity to places and I got exactly that in Portsmouth. I get to walk everywhere without spending much money on transportation. The seaside and beach was another factor that influenced my decision.
Rubie Targema-Takema, PhD Computing
Congratulations – you’ve completed your walking tour!
We hope you enjoyed getting closer to ºÚÁϳԹÏand the University and that you're looking forward to an exciting future here.
Want to continue exploring online? Visit our virtual experience hub for a deeper dive into our halls and facilities, and hear from current students about their experiences.
Want to explore studying at Portsmouth?
Discover how our teaching gives you everything you need to succeed.
Gold rating in national assessment of teaching excellence
Our TEF Gold rating ranks ºÚÁϳԹÏamongst the top universities in the UK for teaching.