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By November 1965, work on the new site had begun. Only a year later, the first teaching and administrative buildings were opened, much to the excitement of the local community.

In 1968, the students started to move into their new campus rooms, although the construction of the site was a gradual process. The architects Peter Shepherd and Gabriel Epstein designed the University and its buildings so that they would absorb as much natural light as possible.

Greenery was also important, seen most typically in the designs of County College and Cartmel. From afar, it was hoped that the campus would look like a Mediterranean hilltop village.

Alexandra Square

Alexandra Square is named after the University’s first Chancellor, Princess Alexandra. The architects of the University were keen to encourage intermingling through the design of the Square. To help achieve this, buildings were designed to be as multi-functional as possible. According to Epstein, they would fulfil “a fruit salad of functions” so there was no segregation of different departments, accommodation and recreational facilities. The Square is bounded by University House to the west; Bowland College to the north, shops and banks to the south-east and the Library to the south-west. Alexandra Square forms a natural amphitheatre and was created so that the students could deliver theatrical performances or just use it as a meeting place. Since its construction, the Square has been at the hub of University life.

Chaplaincy Centre

The unusual shape of the Chaplaincy Centre makes it an extremely eye-catching addition to the University. It dominates the skyline and was the main University logo.

The centre was designed to be inter-denominational and also to include provision for the Jewish faith. It stands today to welcome students and visitors of all faiths and none; a neutral meeting space for the whole university community.

Nearby, separate prayer rooms are provided for Muslim students.

Initially, three crosses adorned the spires of the Chaplaincy, but after early controversy and discussion, the top cross was replaced by a simple spike in honour of the Jewish students.

The Great Hall

Generations of students graduating from Lancaster will know The Great Hall best for its hosting of the summer exams and the graduation ceremonies. The building remains largely unchanged to this day. The design of the Hall was a compromise because it had to fill a variety of functions ranging from the staging of concerts and dances to exams and degree ceremonies.

During the early days of the University, there used to be student meetings in the building. The hall also played host to several popular bands until the student population got too big and concerts became a fire hazard. Bands such as Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden and Tina Turner played in the Hall before the construction of the Sugar House.

The Jack Hylton Music Rooms

The Jack Hylton Music Rooms were named after the famous entertainer Jack Hylton, who died in February 1965, just as the University was being created at Bailrigg.

In 1965, the Lancaster Guardian announced that a number of famous stars from the world of entertainment were gathering together in London’s West End to perform a glittering show in Hylton’s honour called “The Stars Shine for Jack.” Stars at the event included Morecambe and Wise, Jimmy Tarbuck and The Crazy Gang. The show became a fundraising event in order to raise money for the construction of what would become the Jack Hylton Music Rooms. It was hoped that through the building of the rooms, Lancaster would become the music centre of north-west England.

The Library

The Library has witnessed many changes over the years and has not always been situated on its current site. Originally, in the 1960s, the University leased 20 Castle Hill, a former stained-glass factory owned by the firm Shrigley and Hunt. It was primarily used for the unpacking and cataloguing of library books.

The new Library was jointly planned and designed by the chief librarian Graham MacKenzie and the architect, Tom Mellor in 1964. MacKenzie said the Library should be able to accommodate two thousand readers and one million books. After this initial brief was fulfilled, Phase III of the building began in January 1971 to add:

• a fountain courtyard
• open-air seating area on the upper terraces
• exhibition room
• graduate study area.

The Spine

The Spine is the name used to describe the covered walkway that spans from one end of campus to the other.

It was designed to allow pedestrians to walk along the whole of the campus, sheltered from the wind. Portions of the walkway were left open to the sky to let in the natural light, thus avoiding the heavy costs of providing indoor lighting for the passageway.

The architects of the University designed the Spine so that it would follow the natural gradient of the land. The main architect, Gabriel Epstein believed that steps would hinder the flow of conversation between pedestrians.