The Lawns

The Lawns
General information
Type	Halls of Residence
Location	Harland Way, Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire
Coordinates	53°47′10″N 0°25′25″W / 53.7862°N 0.4235°W / 53.7862; -0.4235Coordinates: 53°47′10″N 0°25′25″W / 53.7862°N 0.4235°W / 53.7862; -0.4235 (grid reference TA0333)
Owner	University of Hull
Grounds	40 acres (16 ha)
Designations	Grade II* listed

The Lawns is a student accommodation complex for the University of Hull, located in Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It comprises seven halls of residence (Ferens, Lambert, Nicholson, Morgan, Downs, Reckitt and Grant) and the Lawns Centre. The latter is the complex's catering and social hub. The halls accommodate almost 1,000 students.^[1]

Description

The Lawns halls are set in 40 acres (16 ha) of landscaped parkland, dominated by large sports pitches. There is also a large car park on site and a police station at the main entrance.

Of the seven halls on the site, Ferens is of a traditional rectangular 'Sandhurst block style' with the accommodation around three sides of a central lawn. It is somewhat isolated from the other halls both by its location and by a natural screen of trees. Each of the other halls, which were designed by the renowned architectural firm Gillespie, Kidd and Coia, comprises five blocks identified by the letters A to E, and accommodates approximately 140 residents. A typical block configuration was three floors, with each floor accommodating nine students in seven rooms. Two of these rooms were doubles, typically shared by two first year students. The other five rooms were singles. Each single room had a wash basin, while the double rooms had two. Each floor of a block typically had a small kitchen, two showers, two toilets and two baths. Most have only limited catering facilities however Downs and Nicholson Halls have been converted to fully catered accommodation with en-suite bathroom facilities.

The lawns were developed on the grounds of the former Cottingham Grange, which had been used as an army camp in the Second World War; the nearby Ferens Hall was originally known as 'Camp Hall'.^[2]

The Lawns Centre

Sitting at the heart of The Lawns site, The Lawns Centre is a hive of activity for student residents, boasting a café bar complete with roof top terrace, a licensed bar, a large dining hall and server where freshly prepared meals are served to student residents each evening.

There is also a lecture theatre which doubles up as a cinema room, card operated laundry facilities, social learning areas, and you can work out in style at our brand new 25 station fitness suite. Designed in consultation with students, it has everything you need to keep fit and active including state of the art fitness equipment with TV screens, internet features and personal wellbeing accounts. There’s a fantastic strength and function area too which has the latest in dual function and dynamic training equipment as well as a free weights area.

As well as the gym, there is a multi-purpose studio offering regular sports and fitness activities including spinning, Zumba and dodgeball. If it's football, basketball, netball or tennis you're into that is covered too with the outdoor sports courts.

Downs Hall

Downs Hall

Offers accommodation to 132 students in single rooms.^[1] Most rooms have a sun terrace. Before 1985, Downs Hall offered accommodation to male students only. However, due to a decline in preference for an all male Hall, at the start of the 1985 year (autumn of 1984), Downs Hall was open to both male and female students. The hall was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1993 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.^[3]

Morgan Hall

Morgan Hall was the third hall of the planned 12 halls of residence upon the Lawns Complex. Morgan Hall takes its name from the first principle of Hull University College Arther Morgan. The Hall has 133 single rooms, most with balconies.^[1] The hall was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1993 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.^[4]

Nicholson Hall

Nicholson Hall

Nicholson Hall was the fifth hall of the planned 12 halls of residence upon the Lawns Complex. It takes its name from the principle of Hull University College 1935 John Nicholson. John Nicholson led the campaign to achieve the college's independence, which eventuated on 13 May 1954.

Nicholson Hall house's approximately 142 students in both medium and en-suite rooms. This is the only self-catered Hall on the Lawns Complex.^[1] Most rooms have washbasins and a balcony. In 2009 Nicholson Hall was re-furbished converting all double rooms to singles, updated kitchen diner kitchens similar to the Downs and Morgan Hall designs with additional en-suite facilities in particular blocks. The hall was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1993 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.^[5]

Lambert Hall

Lambert Hall accommodates 130 students in a mixture of single and en-suite rooms. Most rooms have a balcony. Before 1985, Lambert Hall offered accommodation to female students only. At the start of the 1985 year (autumn of 1984), Lambert Hall was open to both male and female students. The hall was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1993 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.^[6]

Reckitt Hall

Reckitt Hall accommodates 121 students in a mixture of single and en-suite rooms.^[1] Most rooms have a balcony. The hall was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1993 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.^[7]

Grant Hall

Grant Hall is named after G.F. Grant, a co-founder of Hull University College in 1927. It accommodates 121 students across 2 blocks of single and 3 blocks of en-suite rooms. The hall was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1993 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.^[8]

Ferens Hall

Ferens Hall accommodates 191 students all in single rooms. It was established in the 1950s as a male hall of residence.^[9]

Committees and responsibilities

From the date of inception until 1969 Halls of Residence at the University of Hull were presided over by the "Halls of Residence Committee". This committee was responsible for the day-to-day running of Traditional halls until the creation of the lawns. The committee was composed of wardens, facilities management from the university and the vice-chancellor. In 1968 at the decision of the committee the "Halls of Residence Committee" was dissolved and the council of the newly built Lawns complex (known as "The Lawns Forum") gained the responsibility of term time activity upon the Lawns complex. Financial matters and conference responsibilities all passed to the relevant departments of the University and out of the hands of the wardens.^[10]

References

External links

• The Lawns, University of Hull Accommodation
• Historic England. "Downs Hall, Grade II* (164757)". Images of England. 
• Historic England. "Grant Hall, Grade II (now grade II*) (164756)". Images of England. 
• Historic England. "Lambert Hall, Grade II* (164755)". Images of England. 
• Historic England. "Morgan Hall, Grade II (now Grade II*) (164754)". Images of England. 
• Historic England. "Nicholson Hall, Grade II (now Grade II*) (164753)". Images of England. 
• Historic England. "Reckitt Hall, Grade II (now Grade II*) (164752)". Images of England.