Campus Tour Facts and Information
Start of Tour – Queens’ reception.
Queen Mary has its roots in four historic colleges: Queen Mary College, Westfield
College, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College and the London Hospital Medical
College.
The Mile End campus is historically the home of Queen Mary College, which began
life in 1887 as the People's Palace, a philanthropic endeavour to provide east
Londoners with education and social activities. It was admitted to the University of
London in 1915.
Westfield College was founded in 1882 as a pioneering college for the higher
education of women, and was granted its Royal Charter in 1932. In 1995, Queen
Mary and Westfield merged with two distinguished medical colleges, St
Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, established in 1843, and the London
Hospital Medical College, England's first medical school, founded in 1785. Pooling
strengths, expertise and resources, this brought clinical medical teaching to Queen
Mary for the first time. Queen Mary is now fully integrated.
Queens’ Building
 Oldest building on campus. Built in 1882 as ‘Westfield College’ a ladies
college it later became Queen Mary, University of London in 1887 when
Queen Victoria opened the People’s Palace building.
 The Octagon was the original library completed in 1887. It was refurbished in
2006, it is now used for exams, conferences and college functions.
 Principal’s Corridor.
Careers Service
 The Careers Service is open for students to visit the whole way through their
time at Queen Mary and get help on getting part-time work, summer jobs,
internships and work experience as well as advice on what to do after
university whether it’s gap year/further study/job. They also offer help with
CVs and interview practice as well.
Geography Square
 Student Health Services. Provides a full range of medical services and you
can be seen by GP’s and nurses. The Student Health Service will see all
patients but we can only register patients with a Tower Hamlets postcode
(E1, E2, E3, E14). Once you are registered you will then have 24 hour 365 day
cover.
 Advice and Counselling. The Advice and Counselling Service offers a free and
confidential service to all Queen Mary students. Trained counsellors will help
you deal with anything from bereavement to exam stress.
 Draper’s Lecture Theatre. Situated within the Geography Building.

Chemistry building. Was demolished earlier this year and work is underway
to create landscape gardens with possible plans for another building. (Please
apologise for Building work!)
Students’ Union
 Infusion. Sells everything from lunches to stationery as well as Queen Mary
branded clothing including fair-trade hoodies and t-shirts.
 Drapers Bar. Main bar and club. Serves a wide range of food during the day
to eat in or out including home-made burgers, salads, waffles and ice-cream.
In the evening Drapers turns into a high tech nightclub hosting different night
such as ‘Mondays Calling’ (pound-a-pint) and ‘FND’ on a Friday as well as
Sports Societies holding socials on a Wednesday there.
 Qmotion. Like Drapers, Qmotion under went a multi-million pound
refurbishment and reopened in 2008. Has equipment catering for cardio,
resistance and free weights. Has over 35 studio classes every week such a
spinning (group cycle), body pump and Pilates. It is a fully equipped gym with
trained gym instructors, two dance studios, a sport specific area, a woman’s
only gym, a squash court and recreational sports hall. Student memberships
are available from £20 per month.
Library Square
 Library. It is an award winning library! Our inter-library system makes it easy
for students to get all the academic resources they need. The library
subscribes to many journals and periodicals and also houses an extensive
video library. There are IT workstations and scanning and photocopying
facilities. There is also Wi-Fi available throughout the college. It has recently
had a £680,000 refurbishment which included creating more seating and also
a café. The refurbishment was completed in December 2010.
 Mucci’s Italian Restaurant. New Italian restaurant which opened in
September 2010.
 Knowledge. A sculpture by artist Wendy Taylor.
 The Hive. A non-silent study area with lots of comfy seating, vending
machines, desks/computer points/printers, useful for group work or escaping
the library.
 John Smith’s Bookshop. Students can buy second hand course books for as
little as £5.
Francis Bancroft
 Language and Learning Unit. For prospective students they offer intensive
English language courses. For current students they offer English courses and
help with improving writing and study skills. They also offer students the
chance to take courses in a selection of languages including Arabic, Chinese,
French and Japanese.
 Disability and Dyslexia Service. Testing for dyslexia and disabilities and
catering to students needs.

Graveyard. It’s a Spanish – Portuguese Jewish burial site which can’t be
moved as it’s sacred ground. It’s the oldest known Jewish graveyard in the
UK and is rumoured to be one of the reason for the areas name. The bodies
were not allowed to be buried within one mile of the centre of London which
at the time was considered Aldgate. This area is a mile away, therefore the
end of the Mile and therefore ‘Mile End’. A plaque to honour Daniel
Mendoza (1764-1836), the Jewish East End boxer, unveiled by Sir Henry
Cooper OBE KSG, at Queen Mary, University of London on Wednesday 3
September 2008 at 2pm. The plaque was commissioned by the Jewish East
End Celebration Society. Mendoza previously buried in the graveyard that
formed part of Queen Mary’s Grounds.
Student Village
 Clement Attlee Statue. “Queen Mary’s association with Clement Attlee stems
back to 1945 when he attended the election count in the Great Hall of the
People’s Palace – now part of the College. On that night he learned that his
party had won sufficient seats in parliament to form the first government
after the end of World War II”. Atlee’s government Created the NHS. The
relocation and repair of the statue in 2010 was funded by Queen Mary and
facilitated by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets from which it is now on
long term loan. It was unveiled by Lord Mandelson in 2011.
 The Curve. Serves hot and cold food throughout the day.
 Village Shop. Open every day till late. Useful for students living in the village
as they can stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables and wide selection of fairtrade and eco-friendly alternatives. It also has an off-license with a wide
range of beers, wines and spirits.
 Blomeley Centre. Home to the Students’ Union. Run by the students for the
students. Sabbatical officers are voted in each year and are in charge of
media, sports and societies, student welfare and advice.
-
-
-
-
Media includes Cub and QMessenger. These publications are open for
any students to get involved with. QMTV also began this year.
http://www.qmsu.org/qmedia/
There are over 30 different sports and 90 different societies which any
student can join. They are great ways to meet new people and learn new
skills and try something completely new.
www.qmul.org/sportsandactivities.
Welfare at QMSU can offer support on issues from home-sickness to
personal safety and from sexual health to disability support. They also
offer advice on academic issues as well. www.qmsu.org/advice/
Provide Volunteering is a student lead volunteering service which allows
students to get involved with the people and projects of East London.
There are almost 1400 students currently involved with Provide which
offers opportunities to volunteer at events such as Community Action
Days to the London Marathon. www.providevolunteering.org


Accommodation. Over 2000 rooms in the student village which has won
awards for it’s architecture. Accommodation is divided into self-contained 4
– 9 bedroom flats which share a communal kitchen. Bedrooms are carpeted
and contain bed, desk and chair, wardrobe, small chest of drawers, book
shelves. There is 24 hour security and flats are cleaned by college cleaners
five days a week with the option for your room to be cleaned once a week.
There are three laundrettes.
Lock-keeper’s Cottage. Postgraduate research department featured on
‘grand designs’.
Mile End Road
 Arts Building. Houses the Pinter Drama studio and the Hitchcock Cinema.
 Arts 2. Arts 2 was completed summer 2011 and houses a new flexible double
height film and drama studio which will also be licensed for public
performance and projects. It has a brand new lecture theatre as well as
several new teaching rooms and facilities for PG students. It will also house
the History Department.
 Law Building.
People’s Palace
 In 1887 Queen Victoria formally opened the Queen’s Hall of the People’s
Palace to provide a library, reading rooms, a swimming pool, gymnasium and
winter gardens for local people. It was built to provide an educational and
cultural centre for the local community.
 The Great Hall in the People’s Palace, which was once one of the largest
performance spaces in London and has had bands such as Wham and Iron
Maiden perform on its stage, is currently closed for the next year for
refurbishment.
 The People’s Palace today houses the Skeel Lecture theatre and the Great
Hall where College ceremonies, including graduation, take place.