A disabled student’s guide to the seven best spots for resting on Lancaster Uni’s campus

A lot of students struggle with mobility, which can mean that having a place to rest is invaluable. So, where are the best spots for students who struggle with mobility to sit on campus?  

Let me break down my top seven recommendations for you, as a disabled student myself.

1. Costa

Conveniently located in Alexander Square, at the heart of the campus, Costa provides a brilliant place for respite. It’s a warm and cosy place, the music is sometimes half-decent, and you can always slip into the back door and not actually buy a drink or any food.

Granted, you might feel guilty about it for the whole time, but your bank account will thank you later, I promise. Plus, there’s some comfy seats you can nab when it’s quieter. It’s the ideal resting spot when it’s not busy, really. 

Pros: Comfy seats, charging spots, decent music, tables for doing work, at the heart of campus, cosy, they have toilets. 

Cons: Loud when it’s busy, sometimes hard to get a seat, expensive if you do give into the guilt and buy anything or just want a sweet treat, packaged food, on the North Spine.

2. Pendle Brew

Although the bar has recently shut down, Pendle Brew is still a relaxing place to get a drink and to sit and rest, or do some work.

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There are also comfy seats (when they’re not taken) and music that’s fairly decent. Plus, it’s not usually that busy, which can mean it’s a more relaxing experience. However, it’s not a convenient location unless you’re a Pendle student, or have a class or society nearby. 

Pros: Comfy seats, relaxing atmosphere, decent music, toilets, tables for work, that one guy that works there that always calls people “man” and was employee of the month at some point, Pendle. 

Cons: Not a convenient location, you can usually hear someone playing ping-pong upstairs, occasionally someone who fancies themselves a musician will start absolutely butchering a masterpiece on the piano. 

3. Coastal

It makes for a nice, relaxing atmosphere for a rest. Coastal is located at the beginning of the North Spine of the campus and the workers there are always lovely. With its central location at the heart of campus, it’s an ideal place to sit and rest, and the food there is nice.

Pros: Friendly staff, cosy atmosphere, decent food and drink, convenient spot to sit, nice and warm when it’s cold outside. 

Cons: All the seats are wooden chairs (boo!), no toilets, a bit cramped, hard to get seats, on the North Spine. 

The benches near Coastal

If you cannot get a seat in Coastal, why don’t you sit on one of the benches outside it? There’s usually some space there, and if you have a class nearby, it’s ideal. That said, when it’s cold outside, you don’t exactly want to be sitting there, shivering. 

Pros: Conveniently located (close to lots of lecture theatres), a decent length, possible to put your bag down. 

Cons: Cold in the winter, you feel like everyone walking past is staring at you, on the North Spine. 

The benches near Fylde and Furness

Not much to say about these benches, really. They’re perfectly adequate benches. Good for sitting on. 

Pros: You get to sit down, close to the heart of campus, usually available, located on the superior spine, otherwise known as South Spine. 

Cons: Too cold in the winter, lots of people rushing past, not super comfy. 

Downstairs in Furness

The seating area is alright, although there’s usually people in it (unfortunately, mostly people from Furness). Still, the sofas are deceptive: They look comfier than they are. 

Pros: Spacious sofas, convenient place between both the north and south of campus, toilets, can fill your water bottle nearby if the mood takes you, on the South Spine. 

Cons: Deceptive sofas, seats generally taken by Furness students who are both chatting and on their phones at the same time (somehow), Furness. 

The seating area in Margaret Fell

Last (and possibly least) on this list, the seating area in Margaret Fell Lecture Theatre. It can definitely be a convenient place to sit, especially if you’re waiting for a friend to leave class, you have a class in there soon, you’ve just had a class in there, or you have a class nearby. Plus, there’s multiple options: The tables and comfy chairs.

Pros: Good choice of seating arrangements, convenient location, good place to go if you have to nip in to use the loo and decide you want to rest for a bit to recover. 

Cons: Lots of students entering and leaving over a short period of time, people sometimes look at you funny if you sit on the chairs on the high tables for whatever reason, the high chairs can be a bit of a safety hazard if you’re short or have limited mobility or both, on the North Spine. 

Okay, that was a lot of places. We’re going to need a seat and a hot chocolate. 

Costa, anyone?