Starting UEA but commuting to campus? Whether you are living in private accomodation along Unthank Road or travelling from outside the city, there are lots of way to get to campus. Here's my breakdown of routes by transport so you can find the route that works for you!
Written by Adrian Ashby
Walking
Campus can be reached on foot from all directions with many varieties!
Eaton/Cringleford: you are spoiled with footpaths from Colney Lane that take you across the River Yare to skirt the UEA Broad. If you live near South Park or Eaton, you will enter campus from the South East via Bluebell Road and again, view the Broad and possibly spot some bunnies...
Unthank Road/Earlham Road Area: Your journey is a little more urban but a suggested route is via The Avenues. This road, as the name suggests, is tree-lined and provides a direct route of approximately two miles from the popular Unthank Road area to UEA. Total time on foot from Unthank Road to Union House is about 30-40 minutes.
West Earlham: The main roads in are Earlham Green Lane or Wilberforce Road. There will bring you to either University Drive or Bluebell Road and fingerpost signs will help you do the rest!
Costessey/Bowthorpe: Finally, getting to campus from the North West and Bowthorpe offers a choice of either following the roads out of the estate to Earlham Road or taking the footpaths to Earlham Road and then crossing over to Colney Lane and following the signs onto campus which will mean you pass the Sainsbury Centre as you arrive on site.
Norwich is one of the safest places to live in the UK and it's urban walking routes are well lit and maintained.
Cycling
Norwich is a cycle-friendly city and is continually developing it's road network to accommodate cyclists and 'Push the Pedalways'. You can find out more here.
As with getting to campus on foot, The Avenues has cycle lanes for most of it's length giving a direct route to Unthank Road and the city centre and is by far the most popular route to UEA.
Earlham Road is now more cycle friendly however is still a much busier road. Bluebell road also has cycle paths for it's entire length for those approaching from Eaton or Cringleford.
Driving
UEA is fortunate enough to lie between Norwich's Outer Ring Road and it's Southern bypass (A47). Linking these two roads across it's Northern Boundary is Earlham Road (B1108). University Drive snakes through the campus and also gives access to the large surface car park.
Given it's location, getting to UEA by car from the city centre and the Ring Road will mean allowing extra time for your journey at peak times as the roads become very busy and it only takes one set of roadworks to make you late! Off-street residential parking is extremely limited and will require a permit. Norwich City Council strictly enforce their use and the fines are not cheap!
UEA is fortunate enough to have a free, regular Park & Ride service from Costessey (pronounced Cossey!) and students are able to park and travel for free to and from campus. The journey usually takes about 20 minutes but can be longer at peak times. This service can be very popular and spaces can be difficult to find at busy times. Operators, KonectBus have now started asking drivers not to park on verges too so make sure you are there early!
Bus
Plan your journey here
UEA is blessed with the most regular bus service in Norwich! Blue lines 25, 26 & 26a all service the UEA and operate on three different routes to and from the city centre using either Earlham Road or Unthank Road.
The reason these buses are so regular? Because they are so popular! Not just a peak times but students and staff are arriving or leaving campus throughout the day.
Because these buses also service the area in between the university and the city, it's best to allow a little extra time to get to your stop. If you are catching the bus from the city, a good tip is to walk 5 minutes to a less popular stop. e.g. getting the bus at Castle Meadow rather than Red Lion Street will guarantee a seat!
For those a bit further out, switching buses is simple. All Norwich bus routes will visit either Castle Meadow or the Bus Station (which are a 5-10 minute walk apart) as part of their journey. The FirstBus app will help you plan your journey in seconds and tell you where your next stop is too.
buddy(su) tip: Buy your tickets on the Firstbus App! They are cheaper and scanning your QR code is much simpler than making sure you have the correct change or incurring the bus driver's wrath as you hand them a £20 note!