Throughout the six weeks, St Mary’s offers activities included in the programme price to help you get to know each other and your new city.
These include:
- virtual pre-arrival session to prepare you for your experience
- pick up transfer on arrival at Heathrow airport, with clear itinerated instructions for onward travel for those students arriving at any other UK airport
- in-person orientation session to help you settle in at St Mary’s
- welcome reception
- walking tours of Twickenham and Kingston
- specially curated academic field trips
- an opportunity to join London Theatre students on theatre visits on cheap ticket deals
- advice and support to tailor long weekend city breaks to the many European cites accesible within a few hours of travel time from London.
In addition, staff will be on hand to point you to your next adventure. Fancy a picnic in the park or a visit to one of London’s iconic outdoor markets? Perhaps you’d like to enjoy the great outdoors with boating on the Thames or hiking in a nearby area of natural beauty. There’s always something new to discover in London.
Day trip ideas
Lecturers and tutors are on hand to offer practical advice and expert knowledge in support of discovering the UK beyond London. There are hundreds of possibilities to explore beyond central London, but students in previous years have taken some of the following day or weekend trips.
Greenwich Boat Cruise
Board your boat at Westminster Pier for the best view you can get of Tower Bridge before travelling east towards Greenwich – the village in the Big City. Hear tales of London’s maritime past and present and enjoy a walking tour of the Royal Naval Hospital and College. Finally, climb the hill for one of the best views in all of London.
Put one foot in the Western Hemisphere and the other in the East as you enjoy the view! Explore the Observatory to learn what Greenwich Mean time is all about. Afterwards, relax and enjoy wandering around the vintage stalls of Greenwich Market.
Oxford and the Cotswolds
Visit England’s oldest university town. See the river where Lewis Carroll took the real Alice in Wonderland, the Hogwarts dining hall (when available) and the colleges where CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien taught. Stay overnight and spend Sunday in the beautiful Cotswold countryside, to make for a perfect weekend.
Stonehenge and Bath
Visit the enigmatic Stonehenge. Was it built as a healing temple, a calendar, or perhaps a burial place? Solve the mystery before traveling on to Bath, a golden-hued city that will take your breath away. Here you’ll visit the Roman Baths and experience high society living. Gorgeous!
Dover and the White Cliffs
The White Cliffs of Dover were recently recognised by the Lonely Planet as on the best places in the world to visit! Rising 350 feet on the coast of the Strait of Dover, the Cliffs are one of England’s most spectacular natural features steeped in historical and wartime significance. Experience the sweeping views and a lovely coastal walk during this unforgettable trip.
Brighton
Enjoy a quintessential day at the seaside. Located on England’s southern coast, Brighton is a cool little city bursting with charm. Fill your day browsing in independent shops, visiting a unique museum, enjoying a carnival ride on the pier, and sampling fresh fish and chips or delicious vegetarian dishes. There’s no better way to spend a summer day!
This just offers a flavour of the many possibilities open to you from your London base, equally students often take advantage of the UK's excellent transport connections to visit cities in Europe on the weekend, which are just a short flight or train journey away.