Find out about life in student accommodation at Cutty Sark Hall, Daniel Defoe Hall, Devonport House, and McMillan Student Village in Greenwich.
The halls will open for new arrivals at 10am on the Saturday prior to the start of the new academic year. Exact dates can be found within the FAQ section of the website, in the offer and acceptance correspondence sent with booking information and on your licence agreement. Please try and arrange to arrive between 10am and 5pm on either Saturday or Sunday during arrivals weekend. If your licence starts before or after the main arrival weekend, our team will contact you with your specific arrival instructions.
If you have paid the £400 deposit before arrival, your room will be held for you for two weeks from the start of your licence period. Please note that you will be charged room fees from your licence start date, regardless of your move in date.
What if I cannot arrive on the day my licence starts?
If you cannot arrive on your licence start date, please notify the Accommodation Service team via email at gr.accommodation@gre.ac.uk. so we can provide you with alternative arrival instructions. Please note if you arrive after 5pm you will still be able to move into your new home, but you should contact Accommodation Service prior to your arrival, if it will be late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
How to get to the Greenwich Halls of Residence
Please go directly to the halls of residence in which you have booked a room. Addresses are listed below, for your reference.
Note that there is very limited parking is available on the streets surrounding our halls of residence in Greenwich. If you are arriving by car, we advise that you ensure that someone is with you who can stay with the car while you unload. Please ensure you pay and display and due to the number of people arriving, move your car as soon as it is convenient to do so.
Cutty Sark Hall, 1 Welland Street, Greenwich, SE10 9ED.
Arriving by car: There is a council car park next to the hall and you can park on the university campus for a few hours over the weekend, which is a 5-minute walk to the hall.
Daniel Defoe Hall, 10 Lovibond Lane, Greenwich, SE10 9FY.
Arriving by car: council car park near to the hall on Burney Street and you can park on the University campus for a few hours over the weekend, which is a 15-minute walk to the hall
Devonport House, 66-68 King William Walk Greenwich, SE10 9JW.
Arriving by car: There is a car park next to the hall (access is off King William Walk just before you get to the hall) and you can park on the University campus for a few hours over the weekend, which is a 5-minute walk to the hall.
McMillan Student Village, Creek Rd, Deptford, SE8 3BU.
Arriving by car: You will be permitted to bring your car on site at the hall for a short period when you arrive in order to unpack and you can park on the University campus for a few hours over the weekend, which is a 15–20-minute walk to the hall
Please note that Greenwich is extremely busy and congested at the weekend in general, parking is limited and expensive and footpaths are busy. Saturday is also usually the busier day on arrivals weekend, so be prepared to queue to collect your keys. If you would prefer to avoid the queues you may find Sunday is quieter.
You will be asked to show photo ID so please bring a passport or drivers licence with you. Only the person licensed to the room can collect the keys.
Further information
How to get to the Greenwich campus
Information available at www.gre.ac.uk/travel/gr.
Please ensure you plan your route before you leave home and if you have any queries contact staff no later than 4pm on Friday if you plan to move in over the weekend. Staff will not have access to phone or email during weekends.
What to bring
Bedding and towels: Please bring your own towels and bedding as these items are not provided for you.
Plates, cutlery, and crockery do need to be brought with you along with pots and pans.
Every kitchen at Greenwich is furnished with at least a toaster, kettle and combi microwave, as well as an iron, ironing board and vacuum. If you bring your own electrical equipment, please also note that it must be fitted with a suitable and fused plug and must carry an internationally recognised certification mark. All equipment must be kept in a safe condition.
If you have any queries or concerns about what to bring, then please contact a member of the team.
Bedding, kitchen items and stationary shopping
Why not take the hassle out of buying and transporting your bedding and kitchen items by pre-ordering from our friends at UniKitOut. All you need to do is CLICK HERE, choose the items you want, select your residence, then confirm and pay for your goods. The pack will then be pre-delivered directly to your residence, so it is there ready and waiting for you in your room when you arrive, leaving you to quickly settle into your new and exciting environment.
Don’t forget to enter promotional code: Greenwich10 to receive 10% off.
As well as food, you can purchase bedding and kitchen items from Asda at Crossharbour, which takes 4 minutes to get to from Cutty Sark station on the DLR train or is about a 25–35-minute walk. A backpack is recommended if walking or cycling. From Monday to Friday, Asda is open 24 hours, and is open until 22:00 on Saturday, and between 10:00 – 17:00 on Sunday.
Westfield shopping centre at Stratford hosts various stationary, and home and furniture shops, and can be easily accessed via the Cutty Sark DLR station in under 30 minutes.
Contents insurance
It’s easy to underestimate the value of your possessions. We’re not just talking about your laptop and phone, but items such as your clothes, hairdryers, and other gadgets, like Fitbits, and smart watches can all add up.
The great news is, through our insurance partner, Howden, we provide contents insurance for all the students who live with us, so your belongings are covered while they’re in your accommodation.
Watch this video to understand your content insurance: Student insurance explained
What is Howden for Students?
Once you’ve registered with Howden’s student app, you can instantly access your cover details and policy documents, as well as contact the claims team at any time.
Howden for Students is packed with loads of useful products and information to help you through your time at uni, including:
- Wellbeing – access to free 24/7 confidential wellbeing support with qualified counsellors
- Student life – top tips to make the most of your time at university
- Protect and save - discounts on student friendly insurance, plus access to a trade-in portal to get cash for your old devices.
- Submit a claim – quick access to an online claims portal
- Prospects – find out more about graduate jobs, postgraduate study, work experience, internship opportunities, and careers.
Food shopping
Waitrose at Greenwich is a 5–10-minute walk from all the Halls and is the largest food shop in the immediate area. Some kitchen equipment can also be purchased here. It is open between 7:00 – 22:00 on Monday through to Saturday, and 11:00 – 17:00 on Sunday.
A small Co-op and Sainsbury's Local are both a 5–10-minute walk from the halls and located on Greenwich High Road. A Sainsbury's is also on site at the McMillan Student Village, open between 6:00 – 23:59 every day of the week. Co-op is also open every day, between 7:00 – 22:00. If you have an NUS card, a 10% discount is available from Co-op.
Marks and Spencer is just around the corner from the Cutty Sark Hall in the centre of Greenwich, and is located close opposite the Gipsy Moth pub, on the corner of Greenwich Church Street and Welland Street. It is open between 8:00 – 21:00 from Monday to Saturday and 9:00 – 20:30 on Sunday.
Societies and Greenwich Students' Union
The Lower Deck in the Dreadnought Student Hub is the current home of the University of Greenwich Students' Union, and is the primary place for student social gatherings situated in Greenwich. A multitude of weekly events, society meetings and special events are hosted here, but it is also a place to go and eat, drink and relax after lectures or on days off. During Fresher's Week, Bar Latitude will be an excellent place to meet other new and existing students and get to know the people you'll be living and studying with.
With societies ranging from academic interests to musical performance, and a diverse set of sports clubs, you are bound to find something that piques your interest. If you're unsure about joining a society, the Fresher's Fair is the best place to explore your options, with most societies represented and available for a chat, you can even sign up for society membership then and there!
Public transport
An Oyster card is critical to transport in London, you can't get on a bus or tube without one*! If you don't have an Oyster card, you can get one at the Tourist Information Centre located next to the John Smith's Bookshop on campus, or from most stations. You can also link your Oyster to a 16-25 railcard to receive a discount on all journeys, should you have one.
Greenwich is served by three tube stations, across two lines. Cutty Sark and Greenwich operate on the Dockland Light Railway (DLR) line, whilst North Greenwich station operates on the Jubilee line. Watch out for Transport For London's (TFL) plans for a 24-hour service starting in September!
Greenwich, and London, in general is well linked by buses, with stops close to the Campus, and all of the local halls, as well as a fairly frequent night bus service. You can check TFL's website for bus timetables and routes. It's important to remember that buses no longer accept cash as payment, only an Oyster or travel card is valid.
Greenwich is also linked by train, with Greenwich station providing a service to central London stations and beyond.
*A travel card is a possible alternative but is usually more expensive.
What to expect
After unpacking your things, the best thing to do is to get to know the people who are living around you. A great way to meet people is simply to leave your door open (as long as you're there!) and say hi to everyone who comes passed! There are a huge number of activities to get stuck in to during Fresher's Week, which is a great time to meet new people and try new things.
The largest of our three campuses, Greenwich Campus sits on a World Heritage Site on the banks of the River Thames. It is centered on three baroque buildings designed by Sir Christopher Wren for the Royal Navy at the end of the 17th century.
You can find out more about it in our campuses section.
Excellent transport links provide a 10 minute train journey to Central London.