Local area

For music lovers, Loughton is home to the National Jazz Archive, the most comprehensive collection of artefacts, documents, photos and history of jazz in the UK.  The archive also hosts events and concerts. Not too far from campus, you'll find the Theydon Gallery of Fine Art or the William Morris Gallery, in Morris's own family home, an impressive Georgian mansion built in the 1740s.

For the best theatres, museums and galleries in the world, hop on the central line from Debden and head into London. Below is just a fraction of the world beating cultural gems spread across our vibrant capital city: 

• Theatres and live venues:The Barbican, The Young Vic, The National Theatre, Sadlers Wells, The Royal Opera House, The Old Vic, Shakespeare's Globe and more
• Museums: British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Design Museum, Transport Museum, National Maritime Museum, and more
• Galleries: National Gallery, Tate Modern, The Royal Academy of Arts, Tate Britain, Saatchi Gallery, Whitechapel Gallery, Serpentine Gallery

Loughton Leisure Centre has a swimming pool and a gym and offers a variety of workout classes. 

Just 20 minutes on the Central Line will take you to Stratford where you will find an incredible variety of leisure, sports and entertainment options. Fitness fanatics, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has it all. Take a swim or hit the gym at the Aquatics Centre, or take an adrenaline ride on the uniuque Arcelormittal Orbit, the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide. While there, pop into Westfield Stratford City, where you'll find shops and restaurants galore and an entertainment complex including Vue cinemas and live music venues.

The Plume of Feathers is the nearest pub to campus, located on Church Hill and you can find a range of pubs, bars and restaurants on the nearby Loughton Broadway and High Road.

If you’re looking for much greater choice, head into central London for the best nightlife the UK’s capital has to offer. The night tube runs all night on Fridays and Saturdays on the Central, Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. See the Transport For London website for more details.

Epping Forest is an area of international importance for its unique habitat and rare species with 50,000 ancient trees and over 100 lakes and ponds. If you’re not afraid to get muddy, grab a mountain bike, or saddle up and try horse-riding. Alternatively, take a gentle walk throughout the 6,000 acres of beautiful, ancient woodland, and see what rare wildlife you can spot.

The historic market town of Waltham Abbey is very close by, where you can visit the botanical Abbey gardens, browse the traditional market stalls, and step back over 500 years into a 15th century pub for lunch.

You’ll find the closest coast at our other East 15 Campus in Southend. There you can experience life beside the seaside: walk the world’s longest pleasure pier, enjoy award winning sandy beaches and taste the UK’s famous fish and chips.

For adrenalin junkies the Lee Valley White Water Centre is not far away, where you'll find kayaking, white water rafting, paddle boarding and more.

Loughton's own Broadway is located five minutes from Hatfields, with ATMs, local shops, cafes, restaurants and a post office, while the High Road is a slightly longer 15-20 minute walk from campus but has major brands and numerous cafes and restaurants.

For the biggest and best brands in the world, London’s famous Oxford Street and West End shops are just 30 minutes away on the underground from Debden and Westfield Stratford City, Europe's largest urban shopping mall is just 20 minutes from the Loughton campus on the central line.  You'll find 250 retailers and 70 food outlets offering unrivaled choice under one roof, from big brands to pop-up independents alongside leisure and entertainment activities.