Freshers: Here’s all you need to know about the Lancs’ college system

Lancaster University famously (or infamously) is home to an elaborate collegiate system that determines where you live in your first year, which college sports teams you can participate in, and who you graduate with.

The important thing to know about Lancaster University is that the colleges have a significant presence on campus, with historic rivalries with other colleges through sports, social media and general vibes.

If you’re coming into your first year at Lancaster absolutely lost about the who’s, what’s, where’s, when’s, and why’s in regards to colleges, look no further than this article to learn all about your chosen college’s history.

Sorry Graduate College but this article is all about that undergrad lifestyle.

Bowland College and Lonsdale College 

Bowland and Lonsdale both have the honour of being the oldest colleges at Lancaster, as they were both founded at the uni’s official opening back in 1964. But if we really want to get specific, Bowland is technically the oldest college as Lonsdale’s original buildings were not completed until the following year.

Bowland College, named after the Forest of Bowland, is located in the heart of campus and houses students in numerous halls of residences, including Bowland Main, Bowland Tower, and Ash House. The love Bowlanders have for their college is…intense to say the least, with their college slogan being: “Bowland Til I Die”.

Lonsdale College, named after a region in the traditional Lancashire county, was originally located adjacent to Bowland but moved in 2004 to South Campus, where it remains today. The current residential buildings house exclusively en suite accommodation, and the college is known for its high attendance of JCR events.

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Bowland and Lonsdale have a long history as being rival colleges on campus, something which they hash out in the aptly-named sport event Founders, held every year.

Furness College and Cartmel College

Furness and Cartmel were founded in 1966 and 1968 respectively, and both colleges don the colours of the purple family. This helps cement their long-standing rivalry despite the substantial distance between them on campus.

Furness College, named after the Furness region of Cumbria, is located just south of Alexandra Square. The Trevor Bar, affectionately dubbed Trevs, is a student favourite for an abundance of college and society events. These include Trev Quiz and the bi-termly “Treveoke”, where the college song Angels by Robbie Williams can often be heard booming in a college-wide sing-along.

Cartmel College, taking its name from the Cartmel Peninsula in Cumbria, is located in South Campus and is centred around their beloved college bar, Barkers. The bar is known for its delicious food, good vibes and abundance of space. Like its South Campus neighbour, Cartmel also exclusively houses en suite accommodation, making it a popular choice for first year residents.

Furness and Cartmel have a lot of similarities, in both colour palette, being named after Cumbrian peninsulas, and residing around their well-beloved bars. However, the similarities don’t stop their fierce rivalry, shading each other on social media and also competing in their intercollegiate contest, Patriots, that takes place every year.

Fylde College and County College

Fylde and County were founded consecutively in the years 1968 and 1967 respectively. Unlike the other colleges, their rivalry is relatively newly founded, having developed after both colleges withdrew from the multi-college contest Legends in 2017.

Fylde College, named after the Fylde peninsula, was initially formed by a group of young lecturers as “a place where the students would have a bit of influence”. Fylde is known for its commitment to student sports, with their bar, The Mill, being a popular location to watch televised sports and for students to partake in their chosen bar sports.

County College, named after the entire county of Lancashire, was originally opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1969. Its main halls of residence surround an old oak tree, to which its logo is credited to. County College also has a bar, which houses numerous bar sports equipment and tabletop board games. County is also unique as it houses The Marketplace in which catered students can get their meals.

Fylde and County’s rivalries come to a head in their yearly contest, Titans, where they compete in a vast range of sports.

Grizedale College and Pendle College

Grizedale and Pendle share the honours of being the youngest undergrad colleges, being founded in 1975 and 1974 respectively. The two colleges’ rivalry stems from their close proximity to each other as nextdoor neighbours.

Grizedale College, named after Grizedale Forest, initially shared accommodations with its rival Pendle. Grizedale is known for its bar which, despite threats of closure, is remaining semi-open this year. Grizedale accommodation is also almost exclusively made out of townhouses, giving the area the feel of a small, cute village.

Pendle College, named and styled after the Pendle witches of 1612, embraces the most mythical and fantastical vibes, aided by its logo of a witch on a broom. Pendle is home to arguably one of the most notable alumnus, Top Gear and Grand Tours’ James May, and the love for him within the college is still present, with periodic appearances of James May cardboard cutouts in accommodation windows.

Like all other undergraduate colleges, Grizedale and Pendle battle out their fence-line feud in their yearly sports competition, dramatically named Warriors.

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Featured image edits via Lancaster University website