We know it's not always possible for you to join us at an Open Day, but don't worry, our campuses are open to the public all year round.
You're welcome to drop by and explore Sutton Bonington Campus at any time that suits you. To help you find your way around, we've highlighted some of the key buildings on campus below.
To follow the self-guided tour, we recommend you use our campus map as the building numbers and map references correspond to this map. However, you can also use Google Maps to navigate our campus too, just search for the name of the building on the app.
Download the campus map
Before you arrive, please check our parking website, as restrictions and charges may apply. The main visitors car park (D3) on Sutton Bonington Campus is located off College Road. This is also where the Hopper Bus from University Park Campus will drop you off.
We estimate this tour will take around 30 minutes. Please note there is restricted access to academic buildings and halls of residence.
1: Start your tour at North Laboratory – 5/D3
From the car park, head south and cross the road. On your left there is the North Laboratory.
The North Laboratory is home to the Division of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics who carry out nutrition related work. In here you will find state-of-the-art laboratories, including the Peter Buttery Teaching Laboratory (also known as the Super Lab), dietetic lab and an analytical lab.
There are also clincal setting rooms, research facilities, shared offices and meeting spaces.
With the North Laboratory on our left, continue south towards the wooden pagoda (D3).
2: James Cameron-Gifford Library - 34/D3
Before you reach the pagoda (D3), the James Cameron-Gifford Library will be on your right, across the car park.
The James Cameron-Gifford Library supports the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, and the School of Biosciences here on Sutton Bonington. The library is open to students 24 hours a day and includes an assistive technology room, laptop loans, print, copy and scan, self-service machines and various study spaces.
3: Lecture Block - 9/E3
Continute towards the pagoda and on your left is the Lecture Block.
Facilities include two large lecture theatres and various seminar rooms used by all subjects on Sutton Bonington campus.
4: Main Building - 11/D4
Directly across the courtyard from Lecture Block (9/E3) is Main Building.
Services and facilities within the building include laboratories, teaching rooms, lecture theatres and offices.
5: The Barn - 20/D4
To the left of the Main Building (11/D4), behind the fountains, is the Barn.
The Barn is set at the heart of the Sutton Bonington Campus and includes a dining hall, common room, study spaces, faith rooms, student services and a range of other facilities over three floors.
There is also a café selling deli light bites and beverages. Additionally, Costcutter and Starbucks can be found at the rear of The Barn in the Food Hall (17/E4).
Once you have finished exploring The Barn, continue south along the footpath so it's on your right as you go past it.
6: South Laboratory - 18/E4
As you reach the end of The Barn, across the road is the South Laboratory.
This lab is used by the School of Biosciences to support research across the entire food system. The facilities are used by students, researchers and industry partners.
Facilities include:
- Dark Room
- Crop Proccessing Laboratory
- Cell and Embryo Culture Laboratory
- Molecular Biology Suite
7: Gateway Building - 29/E4
Continue south and the next building along is the Gateway Building.
This building joins our two academic departments on Sutton Bonington: the School of Biosciences and the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science.
This building has 3,100 square metres of laboratories, teaching spaces and offices, and contains more than 300 metric tonnes of locally sourced straw. Also within the building is a computer room, seminar rooms and the Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Laboratory.
8: Bonington Student Village - A-C/E5
Opposite the Gateway Building (28/E4) you can see some of the halls of residence that make up Bonnington Student Village.
Bonington Student Village is our on-campus student accommodation which offers 1-bedroom apartments, en-suites and shared apartments.
Each room has a comfortable bed, a bedside table, a desk and chair, a wardrobe, bookshelves, drawers and a bedside table, and free high-speed WiFi. Chill with friends in the common room and wash & dry your clothes with the help of laundry facilities. Other amenities include 24/7 security, onsite parking and more!
9: The Clinical Building (School of Veterinary Medicine and Science) - 27/E5
The last building you will come to before you reach the south entrance of the campus is the Clinical Building or more commonly known as the Vet School.
The Vet School Building has a huge range of modern, purpose-built facilities for teaching and clinical use. With specialist laboratories, like the radioisotope lab and anatomy lab and clinical skills and surgery suites.
You can also find:
- 16 stables for veterinary student horses
- an indoor menage and a student smallholding
- exotic smallholding
- University Dairy Farm
- sheep and pig facilities
- abattoir
10: Food Science Building - 14/E3
Turn around and head back down the road you just walked up. As you come back to The Barn (20/D4), you will see a small car park. Cross this car park and take the footpath on the right hand side, between Lecture Block (9/E3) and Food Science Building.
Food Science Building is used by the School of Biosciences for teaching and research in food science. In here you can find lecture theatres, teaching laboratories, the favlour laboratory and food processing facilities.
It's also the base for the Sensory Science Centre. The Centre has state of the art sensory facilities, including a suite of 10 booths designed to industry standards, with controlled temperature, lighting and ventilation. There's also a custom-designed kitchen used for controlled production of samples in research.
11: Plant Science Building - 8/E3
Contiune on the footpath that runs along the Food Science Building (14/E3). The next building you'll come to is the Plant Science Building.
The Plant Science Building facilitates research in plant biochemistry, physiology, cellular structure, signalling, transport and genetics. Within the building we have specialist labs, teaching rooms, a lecture theatre and offices.
12: Bioenergy and Brewing Science - 7/E3
Continue along the path in the same direction until you come to Bioenergy and Brewing Science, which is surrounded by a lake.
This building is used for research in brewing science. In here you will find our very own 10hL pilot scale brewery and equipment for micromalting and wort production. Some of our current research projects include flavour improvement of low-alcohol beers and development of high gravity fermentations.
13: Glasshouses and farm facilities - E2
Carry on past Bioenergy and Brewing Science (7/E3) to the end of the footpath. Directly in front of you, across the car park are our Glasshouses.
This is 1800m² of glasshouse and polytunnel growing space serviced by a specialist team. In here, we can undertake work in a number of areas including seed bulking, plant nutrition and plant physiology.
Beyond the Glasshouses are our farm facilities, including some of the fields where we grow crops for teaching and research purposes.
And that's our Sutton Bonington Campus.
To get back to the car park, turn left and follow the footpath until you find the entrance to the car park. The Hopper Bus stop back to University Park Campus can also be found in this car park.