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Getting to Waterside

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Various ways to travel

Depending on your reason to visit us, there are different travel options available. Please see below.

Travelling by car for an open day

Free parking in car park 4 is available at Waterside Campus for open day events only. Please use the following postcode NN4 8RR.

Travelling by car for your interview or campus tour

There is no parking available at the campus for weekday events including interviews and campus tours, unless you are a blue badge holder. Please use one of the council-operated car parks.

Parking at Sixfields

The council owned Claret Car Park is a short distance from M1 junctions 15a and 16 and Stagecoach bus number 55 operates from the stop opposite this car park, stopping at the Rail Station and into the Town Centre. Our Waterside Campus is around a 10 minute walk from the bus station.

Please see the Stagecoach Bus timetables for bus times. The Stagecoach buses accept contactless payments on board or payment via their app; parking is chargeable at an all day fee of £2.00 for non-match days and £8.50 on match days.

The address for the Park and Ride is: Claret Car Park, Edgar Mobbs Way, Sixfields, Northampton, NN5 5JR.

Find information about the accessibility of these car parks on the AccessAble website:

AccessAble logo. Click for more information.

Parking in the town centre

The closest car parks to our campus are St John’s Car Park (NN1 1HA) or Midsummer Meadows Car Park (NN1 5NX). Both of these are in walking distance (5 – 10 minutes walk) to the campus. These are pay and display car parks and prices can be checked via the Council website.

Blue badge parking

Spaces are available at Waterside Campus for blue badge holders. If you require an accessible car parking space, please contact your University host to book a space for you.

Parking for students

For more information about parking as a student please see our student parking pages.

Parking for other visitors

Find more information about visitor parking at the university.

Travelling by train

Northampton Railway Station is one hour by train from both London Euston and Birmingham New Street.  The number 18 bus connects the train station to campus Monday – Friday (at the weekends, visitors should walk to the bus station and catch the 4/4A service to Waterside).

If you are attending an open day, there is a dedicated open day bus which runs between Waterside Campus and the train station. A Student Ambassador (wearing a blue uniform) will be on hand to point you in the right direction.

Travelling by bus or coach

National Express and other coach services operate from Victoria Street (please check with your operator to confirm) which is located directly beside the Upper Mounts car park in the town centre. Local buses operate from Northgate Bus Station, just off the Market Square in the town centre.

If you are travelling by air to the UK for enrolment, we have partnered with the National Express to offer a 20% discount for all airport transfers from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham International and Manchester direct to Northampton town centre. See Travelling to Northampton to claim your discount.

The Stagecoach 4/ 4A departs from the Bus Station to Waterside every 10 minutes approx.

Travelling on foot

You can walk to campus via our footbridge which connects with Becket’s Park. It’s a 5 – 10 minutes walk from the town centre.

Travelling by bike

Cycle parking/storage is available on site and Waterside campus links with the National Cycle Routes 6 / 536, with many other traffic free and quieter roads making it easier to commute around Northampton.

Travelling by taxi

Please ask your taxi driver to drop you off at Waterside Campus, taxi drop off laybys are available at both the east and west side of campus.

  • Use the east entrance for Senate, ICLT, Logistics Hub, Sports areas
  • Use the west entrance for Learning Hub, Creative Hub, Engine Shed

Address: University of Northampton University Drive NN1 5PH