NOSTALGIA UK
The Stag Hill Campus in the 90s
The thing about Surrey, a campus university, as opposed to a city university, is that everything was contained within a single defined area. And when I say everything, I mean everything—academic departments, computer labs, the library, student accommodations, the Students’ Union, medical centre, restaurants, bookshops, a sundry shop, the sports hall & gym, a bank, and even a laundrette. That first week was all about getting to know the campus.
The university was built on the slopes of Stag Hill, with the beautiful Guildford Cathedral towering above it. There were two main entrances/exits:
The West "Gate" – Primarily for vehicles, connecting to the A3, the main road linking London and Portsmouth.
The East "Gate" – The main student entry point and the bus route into Guildford town.
If you walked from West to East, here’s what you’d see, straight from my memory:
The campus gym and sports hall sat just inside the West Gate, where we, the Malaysian students, played badminton once a week. Across from it was the Toxicology Department, the only department building I remember being gated. A little further up was the Dance & Art Studies Department—at the time, I found it interesting that a university offered such courses. Behind it was Cathedral Court, one of the residence halls, and further up the slope was the Quiet Centre, where Friday prayers, iftar, and Tarawih prayers were held. Across the street from Dance & Art Studies Department, a small path led to Twyford Court, one of the pricier residence halls, next to a large football field.
At this point, the road split into two:
The left path led through two rows of tall buildings connected by glass bridges. Chemical Engineering was one of the first departmentd on the left I remember. Further up was Maths & Computing, my department, followed by the renowned Satellite & Telecommunication Department—possibly one of or the reason for then-Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir’s visit in 1995. Walking further would take you to Stag Hill lake.
The right path led to the university library, with a large 24-hour shared computer room attached to it. A narrow walkway next to it took you to SPAR, our go-to convenience store and concrete stairs to the university bookstore. Opposite the library entrance was the campus laundrette. Further up, the main university canteen sat on the left, directly across from Battersea Court, my residence hall. Nearby was Surrey Court, another residence hall, followed by the main lecture theatre building, where large classes were held.
Walking further, you’d pass a vegetarian restaurant—which, looking back, was quite progressive for the time.
Then the road sloped downward, leading to the Students’ Union, home to the elected student reps and the venue for weekend parties and discos. Attached to it was the student pub, with an outdoor seating area where, on warm sunny days, some of us coursemates would lounge between lectures. Opposite this area, across the street, was Stag Hill Court, another residence hall.
Continuing downhill, you’d pass the most expensive en-suite accommodations and the campus medical centre. This was the eastern edge of the campus, where the East Gate stood. Right next to it was Yorkie’s Bridge, a pedestrian bridge that led into town.
By the end of my first week, I had practically memorised every corner of the campus.
