London School of Economics (LSE) Summer Accommodation

We offer accommodation at nine of London’s historic universities. They’re an ideal budget alternative to typical hotels and B&Bs and you don’t have to be a student to stay there! 

Top attractions

London is globally renowned for its tourist attractions. You’ll be sure to learn new things at its Natural History Museum and the British Museum, to getting a taste of culture at the Tate Modern or the West End. If architecture is more your thing, then make your way to The Shard, which is the city’s largest building or to Tower 42, one of the first high rise office buildings in the capital. 

Splash the cash!

Famous for being home to many of the world’s leading designers, London is the destination of choice for the shopaholic. 

From independent retailers and stalls at Broadway Market, to high street favourites on Oxford Street, if you can’t find it in London, then you don’t need it! 

Those who prefer destination style shopping experiences may find Westfield Stratford, more to their fancy, with department stores, popular brands and tasty menus to choose from. What a great way to make a day out of shopping! 

The Grass is Always Greener…

Awarded with the world’s first “National Park City” status (2019), London is the greenest city in Europe. This will come as no surprise to those who enjoy picnics in the capital’s 35,000 acres of green areas, including the famous Hyde Park, Regent’s Park and Kensington Gardens. 

Getting Around London

You can travel on public transport, around Greater London on single or return fairs, day tickets, Oyster Card pay as you go and season tickets. You can also use smart watches or your contactless debit card to pay as you go. You must have your ticket or card ready to tap in and for inspection.

Greater London is split up in six fare zones. Zone 1 covers Central London, with zones 2, 3 and 4 forming circles and expanding further out of the city centre. While zones 5 and 6 sit further outside of London, in Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey. 

The London Underground, more well known as The Tube, is the oldest and third longest metro style travel system in the world. With 11 lines serving 270 stations within the network, it is the most popular method of transport in and around London. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR), which serves the Docklands, Greenwich and Lewisham on tram-like vehicles, is the second most popular option.

London’s Overground train network connects the centre of London to the more suburban areas.

The bus service operates 24 hours a day, with more than 700 vehicles. 

Transport For London prides itself on improving the accessibility within London. All DLR rail stations are step-free, with 78 Tube stations, 60 of its London Overground stations and 11 TFL rail stations currently being wheelchair and buggy friendly.

Other ways to get about:

• Cable car - The Emirates Air Line first opened in 2012 and links Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks
• Cycling - In 2010, a bike hire system launched, which enables locals and tourists alike to hire a bike from as little as £2. It’s easy to use - use the Santander Cycles app or your debit card at the terminal, hire a bike and then return it to any docking station in London!
• Water - Breathe in some fresh air and get aboard one of the many boat services that London has to offer, such as the Thames Clippers, which run between Embankment Pier and North Greenwich Pier.
• Walk - We’ve already mentioned how London has acres of beautiful scenes; don’t forget to look up!

Go further afield:

• Birmingham by train – 2 hours
• Edinburgh on the Caledonian Sleeper – 7 hours 29 minutes
• Cardiff by train - 2 hours 3 minutes
• Belfast by plane: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Paris by Eurostar – 2 hours 16 minutes

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The first major settlement was founded by the Romans in 43 AD as Londinium, following the Roman conquest of Britain. Following a storming by the Iceni tribe led by Queen Boudica in 61AD, the city was rebuilt and prospered, superceding Colchester as the capital of the Roman province of Britannia in 100 AD. At its height in the 2nd century, Roman London had a population of around 60,000.

By the 600s, the Anglo-Saxons had created a new settlement called Lundenwic, approximately 900 metres upstream from the old Roman city, around what is now Covent Garden. It is likely that there was a harbour at the mouth of the River Fleet for fishing and trading, and this trading grew until the city was overcome by the Vikings and forced to relocate back to the location of the Roman Londinium to use its walls for protection. The original Saxon city of Lundenwic became Ealdwic ("old city"), a name surviving to the present day as Aldwych, which is in the modern City of Westminster.

Plague caused extensive problems for London in the early 17th century, culminating in the Great Plague in 1665-1666 that killed around 100,000 people, up to a fifth of London's population. This was the last major outbreak in England, possibly thanks to the disastrous fire of 1666. The Great Fire of London broke out in the original City and quickly swept through London's wooden buildings, destroying large swathes of the city. Rebuilding took over ten years, largely under the direction of a Commission appointed by King Charles II, chaired by Sir Christopher Wren.

Much of London was then destroyed during the bombing campaign of World War II, which saw 30,000 people lose their lives. Despite causing a great deal of damage, the city was generally well patched up and much of the worst of 1940s and 1950s architecture has been replaced by more modern and tasteful buildings.

In the 18th century, Samuel Johnson, author of A Dictionary of the English Language, famously wrote about the city: "You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford".

History of London's Universities

University College London

UCL was founded in 1826 and is the third oldest English university, and the first university institution to be founded in London. This was the first British university to admit students regardless of their religion and gender. At that time, the only universities in England were those at Oxford and Cambridge, which were restricted to members of the Church of England. It introduced new subjects which had not previously been taught in English universities, for instance modern foreign languages, English language and literature as well as engineering and architecture.

The University of London

The University of London was first established by a Royal Charter in 1836, which brought together in federation London University (now University College London) and King's College (now King's College London). Today the University is a federal university made up of 31 affiliates: 19 separate university institutions and 12 research institutes. As such, the University of London is the largest university in the UK by number of full-time students, with over 135,000 campus-based students.

Queen Mary, University of London

Queen Mary has its roots in four historic colleges: Queen Mary College, Westfield College, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College and the London Hospital Medical College. The Mile End campus is historically the home of Queen Mary College, which began life in 1887 as the People's Palace, a philanthropic endeavour to provide east Londoners with education and social activities. It was admitted to the University of London in 1915.

Westminster University

Westminster University is located in the district of Marylebone is named from St Mary's, the local church, which was built on the banks of a small stream or bourne called the Ty bourne. The church and the surrounding area later became known as St Mary le bourne and, over time, as Marylebone.

Goodenough College

The College was founded in 1930 as a residential college for students from The Dominions. Its aim was to improve international tolerance and understanding amongst people on the brink of their careers by providing a forum in which they could interact. The College has expanded greatly since that time and now consists of a community of 650 postgraduate students from over ninety countries.

Imperial College

Founded in 1907 and consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research.

Goldsmiths

Based in New Cross, Goldsmiths specialises in the teaching and research of creative, cultural and cognitive disciplines. The institution was founded in 1891 as Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. It was acquired by the University of London in 1904 and was renamed Goldsmiths' College.

The Courtauld Institute of Art

Founded in 1932 through the philanthropic efforts of the industrialist and art collector Samuel Courtauld, the diplomat and collector Lord Lee of Fareham, and the art historian Sir Robert Witt, this self-governing college of the University of London specialises in the study of the history of art.