Nottingham University: Science City back way in

Info date: April 2013.

This page describes the “back way in” to Science City a.k.a. the Science Area, past the Cripps Computing Centre.

This is a reasonable route for walking or cycling from the North Entrance into Science City, and for dropping people off by car if they can’t walk as far as the main car park. You’ll only be able to park round here if you have either a Blue Badge or a parking permit from the University.

Map Blue Badge space north of Tower, on OpenStreetMap.

To start off, you’ve come in by the North Entrance (see separate page) and taken the left fork past the hut.

Photo: A road divides in two, and on an island in between the two sides is a small hut. Each side of the road is blocked by a beam which can be lifted from the hut. Both sides of the road have painted arrows indicating one way traffic (away from the viewer).

Initially, keep heading towards the Tower Building. When you’ve gone across the junction, there’s a green sign (circled in pic). Turn right there.

Photo: a junction. A main road runs across the foreground, with a zebra crossing across it. Just left of the zebra crossing, a very short section of road joins the first road with another one running parallel to it. A green sign on the far side of the second road is emphasised in the photo. The photo includes an arrow to the right from this sign along the further-away road. Against the skyline is a tall tower.

That sign, a bit closer. In fact, the signs for Tower Building guide you well all the way round this route, although sometimes you’re not pointing directly at the Tower.

Photo: a green sign lists destinations. All of them have arrows to the right. The different destinations are: Engineering & Science Learning Centre; Physics & Astronomy; Tower Building; Electrical & Electronic Engineering; Chemistry; Cripps Computing Centre.

Down the hill from that signpost. Pic shows just a glimpse of dark red windowframes on the right; after that building, you turn left.

Photo: An empty road ahead slopes downwards. On both sides are grass and trees. On the left hand side is a pavement. In the distance can be seen a few parked cars. Just before the cars is the dark red edge of a building.

The left turn is just before the car park.

Photo: In the foreground on the right is the front of a building, similar to a conservatory, with dark red window frames and roof slats. Ahead, a road slopes down past the buliding towards a car park and some other distant buildings. On the photo is a caption "Turn left", pointing at a narrow turning left before the distant cars and buildings.

After that turn, cars split from pedestrians and cyclists.

Photo: In the foreground, a road runs from left to right. Ahead, another road runs towards buildings in the distance. A brick building on the left has double vertical ridges between its windows. The photo is annotated "Cars turn left again" with an arrow just after that ridged building. It also says "Pushbikes and pedestrians straight on", pointing towards the buildings in the distance.

The building on the left with the double vertical ridges is part of Cripps Computing Centre. Car drivers will turn left again just after it.

Cyclists and pedestrians should not take the left turn, but carry straight on: that’ll take you into the middle square of Science City, where you’ll see the ESLC on your left. There is bike parking in the square.

(Cyclists and pedestrians can stop reading this page now. Car drivers, please read on.)

That same left turn: this pic also shows the end of the next building along, a useful landmark because it’s white.

Photo: In the foreground is a road, with some bicycles parked on the pavement to the right. On the left is a brick building with double vertical ridges. Beyond the ridged building is a small car park, and a glimpse of a white-fronted building to the left of the car park. Another brick building is beyond the car park.

And the same turning again, showing the sign for Cripps Computing Centre South Building.

Photo: In the foreground on the left is the corner of a brick building. On the building's wall is a green sign, "Cripps Computing Centre, South Building". To the right of the building, a road leads away from the camera. It has a speed bump part way along. Some cars are parked on the right hand side, near a building whose upper section is white.

Go straight on to the end here, between the Cripps CC building and the white one.

Photo: A roadway leads ahead, towards a dark grey wall in the distance. On the left is a brick building with a green sign, "Cripps Computing Centre, South Building". On the right are some parked cars, and a building whose upper section is white.

At the end, you’ll turn right, following this sign to Tower Building:

Photo: A green sign lists three destinations. All have arrows pointing to the right. The destinations are: Tower Buildling; Electrical & Electronic Engineering; Chemistry (Deliveries).

This brings you through to a car park. It’s probably the most maze-like bit of this route! But in fact you’re nearly there: just bear left across the car park… (arrow shows where you’re headed…)

Photo: a large open space of roadway, with a brick and concrete building ahead. One row of cars is parked in front of the building. Across the open space, the left hand edge of the building can be seen. An arrow added to the photo points along past the building's left hand edge. In the immediate foreground to the left, almost level with the camera, is the corner of a different, nearer building, of dark coloured brick.

And as you bear left across the car park, the tower will come into view, showing you the section where you can get closest to it.

Photo: A short section of roadway leads towards a tall tower block against the skyline. Cars are parked along the right hand side of the road, in marked parking spaces. An arrow added to the photo points along the road. In the foreground to the right is the brown concrete corner of another building, and a little glimpse of a car parked in front of it. To the left of the road is a low building of dark grey brick, with some navy blue or dark purple doors on its end.

The Blue Badge space is in the far right hand corner of this car park section.

Photo: A dead-end section of roadway among buildings. The building on the left is of dark grey brick and has no windows. The building on the right is three storeys, concrete and brick with windows. At the far end of the road (the dead end), a tall tower block rises up to the left. Another low-ish building can be seen in the distance. Cars are parked all along. At the right hand far corner of the "dead end", an arrow has been added to the photo, labelled "Blue badge space".

The Blue Badge space. You can see the back end of the Engineering & Science Learning Centre round the corner.

Photo: Yellow lines on the road show the shape of a parking space, with a wheelchair sign in the middle. On either side of the parking space are yellow criss-cross hatchings showing spaces where no-one ought to park. The left hand side of the parking space is also the end of the road, after which is a flowerbed with a bush in it. Along the side of the road and the end of the parking space is a pathway. Beyond the pathway is a building. To the left of that building can be seen another. The second building is captioned on the photo "ESLC".

A slightly bumpy path takes you round the corner…

Photo: At the bottom of the photo is the yellow hatching of the corner of the disabled parking space. A brick path runs past this for a few metres past a building on the right, then joins with another path. In the distance is another building, grey with a curved roof.

This pic shows roughly how far you still need to walk / wheel, to get to the front of the ESLC. It’s about 100 metres.

Photo: A path runs into the distance. The photo is labelled with an arrow to the right indicating "Blue Badge Space", although the parking space itself is off the side of the photo. To the left of the path is a grass lawn and a large grey building. To the right of the path is another building. At the far end of the grey building on the left, an arrow added to the photo indicates "ESLC entrance".

Back to ESLC page