Review of life at Claycroft

Choosing accommodation can be a hard time for newcomers, especially for international students who have just arrived in the UK. As a postgraduate student (who is about to leave soon), I would like to share some of my experiences living at Claycroft, one of the on-campus accommodation choices at Warwick. Before delving into more details, I would like to raise a small caution that this post reflects my experiences as a postgraduate student in the academic year 2021-2022. Everything is subject to changes – who knows what Claycroft might become after my departure!

General points & Location

Generally, Claycroft Hall of Residences sits in the middle-tier among on-campus accommodation. Everything is a perfect mid: its price tag is in the middle (151 GBP/week – the most expensive for postgrads being Cryfields (243 GBP) and the least expensive being Whitefields (85 GBP/week)), you only need to share the bathroom with one roommate, and its location appears to be in the proximity of everything, the most typical of which are the Zeeman Building, The PG Hub, the Faculty of Arts (FAB) Building, and of course the holy Tesco (for UK first-timers, Tesco is a popular supermarket chain in the UK whose price ranges and food quality fall into, well, the middle tier). Claycroft is not too far from other important buildings, though, with only around 10 minutes of pleasure stroll to the library, Rootes and the Senate House. Its vicinity to most important places is the strongest perk that Claycroft has to offer: you are able to save a great deal of time going to class and going back home.

The room

Whilst Claycroft might not offer the biggest room you expect, it is generally sufficient for a person living on his or her own. Basic facilities are provided in a typical Claycroft room: a standard single bed with mattress protector, wardobe and bookshelf, desk, desk lamp, chair and wastepaper bin. You might want to buy your own bed linen, duvet and pillow (possibly at Tesco or Aldi, which is also pretty near). You might find a room a little bit cramped if you are used to the big rooms back home and have a lot of stuff with you, but if you are a simple guy who just need a bed to sleep and a study corner, everything’s perfect.

Doing your laundry

Unlike off-campus accommodation which often has an in-house washing machine and a tumble dryer, at Claycroft (and possibly some other on-campus accommodation), you are supposed to bring your dirty clothes to the laundrette room. You don’t need detergents (although you might add some to your liking), and a trip to the laundrette costs you money: around 3 GBP for the washing machine and 1 GBP for the tumble dryer (This is not the accurate prices; I am rounding everything up/down). Most facilities here are cashless, so make sure that you have your cards/Google Pay/Apple Pay ready.

The kitchen

You will share your kitchen with 7 other flatmates. The kitchen provides you with basic amenities such as a toaster, a kettle, a microwave oven, an oven, a hob (induction), a sink, a fridge, a freezer and multiple cupboards. No cooking utensils are provided just yet, and you might want to buy them yourself.

The scenery

I have previously mentioned at the beginning that because Claycroft is close to everything, you might enjoy pleasant walks to different parts of the university. Surrounding the hall, you can see a small pond, some great trees that blossom magnificently in summer, and the Tocil Woods. I love the rustling sounds of foliage in the wind when I study in my room!

Generally, I love Claycroft. And I dearly much hope that you will love it too!