The Refectory
The Refectory is the main food outlet at St. Mary’s, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks and hot and cold drinks. Items can be paid for either using money added to your St. Mary’s ID card or alternatively by contactless card. Food options are changed regularly in order to suit everyone’s needs and cater towards those with food allergies and specific dietary requirements including gluten free and vegetarian/vegan meals. The Refectory is a great place to socialise with friends and colleagues and has plenty of outdoor seating. Open 7 days a week, The Refectory operates during these hours:
Weekdays
- Breakfast: 8-10.30am
- Lunch: 12-2pm
- Dinner: 4.30-7.30pm
Weekends
- Brunch: 10.30am-12.30pm
- Dinner: 4.30-6.30pm
Dolce Vita
Dolce Vita is the university café which is located next to the library. The café serves a variety of hot drinks, including a selection of coffees and teas, as well as iced coffees and soft drinks. Additionally, cold snacks and hot meals can be purchased, including sandwiches and cakes. The café has a colourful setting and large numbers of tables and chairs, making it the perfect place to work on your laptop or unwind with friends after a long day. There’s also a large window onlooking the athletic field so you can watch the sports St. Mary’s has to offer, with a brew!
The café is open 7 days a week and open during the following times:
- Weekdays: 8am-5pm
- Weekends: 8am-4pm
Student Union Bar
The Lounge Café bar is located within the SU building in J block (between the Refectory and K block). It operates as a café and bar, serving tea, coffee, iced coffee, soft drinks and snacks such as sandwiches and paninis. A range of alcoholic drinks are also available including spirits, wine and beer. The Lounge is a great environment to enjoy drinks with friends or to do some work with a drink. There are also a range of fun events hosted throughout the year so don’t miss out!
Opening times are as follows:
Weekdays
- 10am-2pm for coffee and hot eats
- 4pm-10pm for beverages from the bar menu, snacks and hot food
Weekends
Chapel
The St. Mary’s Chapel sits at the heart of the campus and is a place to nurture and practice your religion. Whether you’re already practicing a religion or wish to start practicing your new faith, the chapel is the place to visit. With many at the university already practicing their faith and chaplaincy staff on site, there is always someone to talk to.
The Chapel is available to all religious persons and currently runs 3 societies. This includes the St. Mary’s University CathSoc, St. Mary’s University Christian Union and the Islamic Society and the Sister’s Circle. The chapel is used for a variety of services including mass, guided prayer, marriage and mass for the deceased. You can also access other worship spaces, either the chaplaincy (opposite the library), the Crypt Chapel (underneath the main chapel), the Chapel in the Wood (adjacent to the main chapel), the Meditation room (on the mezzanine floor of the main chapel) or the Islamic prayer room (near the main reception entrance).
The Chapel is open every weekday and on Sundays. See below for Catholic mass timetable:
- Monday - Friday: Mass at 9.00am in the Crypt and at 1.05pm in the Chapel
- Sundays: Mass at 11.00am in the Chapel
To contact and follow the St. Mary’s chaplaincy
To contact and follow the university faith societies
St Mary's University CathSoc:
St Mary’s University Christian Union:
Islamic Society and the Sisters' Circle
Sport Facilities
St. Mary’s is renowned for its high-class sports facilities. The sports spaces are located on the edge of campus and include a fitness suite, floodlit pitch, rugby pitch, the Sir Mo Farah athletic track, tennis centre, gymnasium and a fitness studio. Many of these are used for teaching and are often used by schools in the local area, but are also available for your own use. Look out for events and classes throughout the year. Follow @SportStMarys for more information.
The fitness and conditioning suite is popular for those who want to exercise before or after working hours. Memberships cost just £20 a month for staff and £200 for the year. You can visit the gym during the following hours:
Weekdays: 6.30am - 9.30pm
Weekends: 8am – 5pm
Library
The library has 24 hours computer access and has over 300 study spaces. Right in the centre of campus, the library is a comfortable place to study and work and has a wide variety of books you can borrow including fiction and non-fiction books. Books are very easy to borrow with your St. Mary’s ID card and the self-service machines. If you need to return books during out of service hours, there is a drop box by the entrance you can place it in. There are plenty of desk spaces for you to bring your own laptop, or you can access the library’s Windows and Mac computers. If you forget your laptop, there are 48 loanable laptops for your use. If you ever need assistance with anything, whether it’s finding a book or you want to make an enquiry, the staff are always on hand to help out. Food and drink are welcome in the library but make sure you take care when using library computers. Refreshments are also available via the vending machines on the ground floor.
The library is open during the following hours:
- Monday-Friday: 8.15am-7pm
- Saturday: 11am-5pm
- Sunday: 12-6pm
Outdoor Spaces
There are plenty of outdoor spaces to enjoy the sunshine and seek fresh air when you’ve been working indoors for hours. There’s Strawberry Hill Gardens (number 3 on the map) and is located just behind Strawberry Hill House. The area is sparse and great for picnics in the summer and sports and activities. There’s also the Priest’s Lawn (number 6 on the map) which sits between the chapel and the Design Suite. It’s a sqaure-shaped green space which contains beautiful trees and flowers, and plenty of benches to hang out on. Additionally, there are 3 large outdoors areas used for sports, including an athletic track and rugby pitch (number 13 and 16 on the map). At the heart of the campus lies the Piazza (number 8 on the map); it is a place to sit and watch the world go by and enjoy lunch just outside the Refectory. Look out for upcoming events as many of these will take place outdoors in the summer, such as work socials, open days and graduation.
Strawberry Hill House
Strawberry Hill House is located on the university grounds and is a fine example of Georgian Gothic Revival architecture. It was created by Horace Walpole as a gothic fantasy between 1747 and 1792. The building was leased to St. Mary’s in 2007 and to the Strawberry Hill Trust. The building contains an education centre as well as the Waldegrave Drawing Room and Senior Common Room, which continue to be used by the university.
The House and Garden has recently been reopened in light of Covid-19 and also includes a café and gift shop on site. Strawberry Hill House is a fun place for friends and family to visit all year round from Sundays to Thursdays. Adult tickets cost just £12 and members, carers and under 16s can attend for free. Booking in advance is recommended to avoid to help stagger numbers for social distancing.
See below for opening hours:
Sunday – Thursday
- Garden & Cafe: 10am – 4pm
- House & Shop: 11am – 4pm