Venue / Accommodation
A Brief history
Royal Holloway was founded by Thomas Holloway, a self-made multi-millionaire, who wanted to donate something to the nation to achieve 'the greatest public good'. His wife suggested he build a College for women and by 1886 the extraordinary College had been completed and was opened by Queen Victoria.
William Crossland, the architect of the College managed to create an extravagant monument to the wealth and optimism of the Victorian age. As you enter the grounds you are greeted by the Founder's building, which was inspired largely by the flamboyant and impressive 16th Century Château of Chambord in the Loire Valley. The building creates a lasting impression on all those who visit as do the beautiful 135 acres of wooded parkland in which the College is set.
One of the most notable rooms inside the Founder's building is the Picture Gallery, which houses the country’s finest private collection of Victorian art. The collection of paintings was to provide an essential element of Thomas Holloway's ideal of a first rate educational establishment for women.
Please Note: At present the Picture Gallery is closed for refurbishment but the College Chapel is open to view the wonderful painted ceiling.
For more information on the Picture Gallery see: www.rhul.ac.uk/Visitors-Guide/picture-gallery.html
Venue Accommodation and Facilities
Conference bedrooms are premium en suite either for single or double occupancy and standard single en suite rooms. The premium rooms are in the newest halls of residence with modern facilities and wet rooms. These rooms are recognised as some of the highest standard of student accommodation at UK universities.
The Founder’s Building is the historic heart of the campus where you will also find the College Chapel with its apse and painted ceiling. Founder’s social area is Crosslands where delegates can have a drink inside or outside in the South quad and take in the Victorian architecture overlooked by a statue of the colleges’ founders Thomas & Jane Holloway.
From historic to modern the Windsor Building close to Founder’s is the conference venue, with its 400 seater Auditorium and 8 seminar rooms a space in the foyer for exhibitors and delegates to take their refreshments. The College Shop is opposite the Windsor Building where daily papers, light refreshments and memorabilia etc can be bought. Medicine bar is another social area nearer the halls of residence where you can have a drink and play pool. The HUB houses a coffee bar and dining hall, where delegates will eat, and the Lower HUB the venue for the poster sessions. The delegates are invited to explore the college grounds where it is common to see deer and other animals in the wooded areas.
For more information about the college please visit the main website at: www.rhul.ac.uk.
Alternatively please take a look the following useful pages…
Sports Facilities
All conference guests are entitled to use the Sport Centre as part of their stay at Royal Holloway information on this will be available on check-in. Our modern, well-equipped gym is situated at Nobles field, and is staffed by qualified gym instructors. The gym has a wide range of resistance and CV machines to cater for all users. The Sports Hall is (33m x 18m) has a sprung wooden floor and will accommodate 4 Badminton courts, basketball, 5-a-side football, martial arts, trampolining, fencing, volleyball and indoor cricket nets.
Outside facilities include a total of 6 tennis courts can be found on and around campus. 4 of the courts are situated to the west of the Founder's building on the main campus. These courts can also be used for netball.
For more information on sports facilites see: www.rhul.ac.uk/sports/home.html