Streatham Campus has achieved a Green Flag Award celebrating outdoor space excellence for the last thirteen years and is ranked among the best parks and green spaces in the country. Our grounds are well-maintained and well-managed and have excellent facilities.
Streatham Campus
Streatham Campus
Streatham Campus is the larger of its two campuses and is acknowledged as the most beautiful and botanically interesting of any UK University.
The original planting on the campus dates back to the 19th century, when the grounds of Reed (then Streatham) Hall were laid out and planted by the Veitch family of nurserymen, with funds provided by East India Merchant Richard Thornton West.
This style and quality of planting has inspired the development of the campus and successive Grounds Managers and horticultural staff have exploited the wonderful micro-climates which the buildings and topography create, to grow rare, tender and exotic plants, continually enhancing campus collections and improving the biodiversity and resources for learning and enjoyment. They contribute significantly to the publicly accessible open space in Exeter.
The quality open space is available for the local community to visit and use responsibly; we ask that everyone on campus respect the grounds.
Exeter Community Garden
The Exeter Community Garden is a community association which was set up by the University and the Students’ Guild and is managed by volunteers of staff, students and members of the community. It is located in the corner of the field past the Sports Park and the Innovation Centre and allows members to share skills and promotes mental wellbeing through social interaction.
It consists of raised beds, a beehive, an orchard of traditional fruit trees which includes a physic garden, two polytunnels and a greenhouse.
The group has engaged with our students and academics to launch the Permaculture, Growing Food with Nature MA in Food Studies based on the community garden site and using the facilities here. The course specifically investigates food production without cultivation, using sustainable products.
Exeter Community Garden been awarded the RHS Britain in Bloom Level 4 Thriving Category in Exeter City’s In Your Neighbourhood Campaign and has also achieved Outstanding when assessed under the RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood assessment of community projects. Judges praised the participative approach, biodiversity and sustainability. It is also visited by local primary schools to help improve knowledge of food production and healthy eating.
If you would like further information, please visit their Facebook page.
The University of Exeter’s Streatham Campus is acknowledged as the most beautiful and botanically interesting of any UK University. Streatham Campus is described by The Times as the ‘best-gardened campus in Britain’ and by The Independent as having a ‘sublime’ setting.
Highlights include:
- Reed Arboretum and Italianate Garden
- Poole Gate and Old Botanic Garden*
- Plantation
- Business School Courtyards and Alpine Beds*
- Magnolia Lawn
- Taddiforde Valley and Millennium Magnolias
- Edinburgh Wild Conifer Collection
- Birks Bank Arboretum
- Reed Walled Garden and Azaras
- International Garden
- Cacti Beds*
- Hybrid Azaleas
- Cherry Orchard
- Wildflower Meadow
- Diamond Waterway
* suitable for wheelchair access
The University of Exeter Streatham and St Luke’s campuses, fields and woodland areas contain over 10,000 mature trees managed by the Grounds staff.
This guide has been developed to enable some of our significant trees to be visited and enjoyed. It is not a comprehensive list, but provides a flavour of some of the elements that contribute to the look and feel of the estate resource.
It can start/finish at any point around the route, which takes in the following areas:
- Duryard Lawn
- Birks Bank Arboretum
- Reed Hall Gardens and Grounds
- Queen’s Drive Arboretum
- Streatham Farm/Poole Gate/Old Library/Washington Singer
- Plantation/Stocker Road
- Lafrowda Residences
The Biodiversity Trail has been devised to help students, staff and visitors enjoy a route around the Streatham Campus that can help demonstrate the impact of some of the sustainable practices.
It can start/finish at any of the following points around the route.
- Field above Car Park B
- Taddiforde Valley (Higher Hoopern)
- Pine Tree Belt Car Park A-B to Harrison Building
- Harrison Heather Banking
- Laver Pond
- Plantation
- Lower Hoopern Valley and Hatherly Labs Banking
- Queen’s Building/Washington Singer
- Reed Pond and Reed Hall Gardens
