Moving in to Cartwright this year?

Cartwright Court halls of residence is located between Roath and Cathays, two areas heavily populated with students, and within walking distances of shops, pubs, parks, cafes, and of course, the university itself.  

The small number of students living here means that it is like one big family. Most grow close to their flatmates, and there is always a social event going on in one of the flats, without there being too much noise onsite. 

Just a few streets away, you'll find Roy Jenkins - the other accommodation that comes under Cartwright. Roy Jenkins is on Crwys Road which is a popular street for restaurants and pubs in Cardiff.

What to expect when you arrive

Residences will have contacted you about what to expect when you arrive at Cartwright, but our Residence Life Assistants will also be on hand for any questions you might have when you arrive to collect your fob. You will collect your fob for both Cartwright Court and Roy Jenkins from Cartwright Court Reception. You will then be given a lanyard and some info about moving in from the RLAs outside. They can then point you in the direction of your accommodation so you can start moving in! Every evening of arrivals week - the RLAs will be running site tours around Cartwright meeting at Reception at 5.30pm.

When you arrive to your room, you will find a Top Ten poster on the noticeboard that will answer most commonly asked questions!

360° Room Tours

Cartwright Court

Roy Jenkins

Practical Aspects of living at Cartwright:

Laundry

Cartwright has fewer students than some other halls, and so the laundry room is not that big. It has 3 washing machines (2 pre dosed, 1 non-dosed) and 3 dryers. You will need your key fob to access the laundry room. 

Timings: I recommend going at less busy times, such as in the daytime or on weeknights. Sundays and early evenings are the busiest times, but you can check availability of the machines through the Washpoint app. It costs around £5 for a wash and a dry, BUT the machines are quite big! If you wash weekly, you could share a dryer with your friend as they are even bigger!

How to use it: You can use our article on how to do laundry in the halls here.

If you encounter any issues with the machines (e.g. the dryers did not dry your clothes, or there is water coming out of the machine), the best suggestion is to always call Washco. You will need the phone number which is on the wall in the laundry room. They are also able to issue refunds.  

Roy Jenkins students are able to use the laundry room in Hodge Hall (10 minutes away).

Post

Only Royal Mail parcels are accepted in Reception, which opens between 8am-3pm at Cartwright Court. To access your post, you just need to show your digital ID to the residence team and sign for it. If you have an Amazon delivery, there is a locker on site outside Reception which is extremely convenient! However, make sure you put in the correct locker name (KYLEN) when ordering.

To find out how to write your address, see the Top Ten poster on the noticeboard in your room!

Gym

The university gym is the closest gym as it is located at Park Place, but if you are happy to go into town then there is also JD gym and The Gym. The former gyms are quite cheap for students and usually have offers in the first few weeks. They tend to have stands at freshers’ fair, so have a look!

Pure Gym at the City Centre is a 40-min walk from Cartwright Court, but it is an option you can consider if you are studying at the School of Journalism and Media as it is the nearest the gym.

Where to shop

There are many small shops to get food from which only take 10-min to get to. Albany Road has Tesco Express, Iceland, Home Bargains, Sainsbury's Local to name a few. There is a Savers on Crwys Road. If you are looking for a bigger shop, Lidl is right by the university in Cathays so you can pop in there on your way home!

Transport

Coaches

Megabus and National Express stop at Cardiff University. The bus station for both companies are outside 50 Park Place. It is a 20-min walk from Cartwright Court. Do make sure to set the arrival/departure station as Cardiff University rather than Kingsway (Megabus, outside City Hall) or Sophia Gardens (National Express), as otherwise you may not be allowed to board/exit the bus.  

There is a secured bike shed at Cartwright Court. Using it is free of charge; however, there are only a limited number of keys available on a first-come first-served basis. Keys can be picked up at the Reception. 

Places to eat

There are many roads which have lovely cafes and restaurants; head down to Wellfield, Crwys road, City Road or Woodville Road for many lovely places to eat! There is every cuisine imaginable available in Cartwright’s area, so I suggest having a walk around and exploring. Here are some of them:

Wiwo

If you love noodles, Wiwo is the place for you! This takeaway has won many awards in Cardiff! You can customise your meal by choosing your noodles/rice, filling and sauce, and it is so tasty and made fresh! It is located on Woodville road, next to Sainsbury’s, and you can collect or go online for delivery!

Coco Gelato

Another of my favourite places to go to because the food is incredible, and it is open until late! This Italian ice-cream shop has every flavour under the sun, and it does mammoth desserts - from waffles to freak shakes. Make sure you go on an empty stomach and you will not be disappointed. Plus, it is open until 11pm, just like gelateria’s in Italy!

Calabrisella

Who does not love Italian? It is located on Cathays terrace, so it is not far from the university. They serve the best pizza in Cardiff, in my opinion, and they serve pizzas on spin boards! Very authentic, and very tasty! If you go, please try the arancino; they are huge! I recommend having a pizza plus sharing arancino!

Pubs

There are hundreds of pubs in Cardiff; lots of students living in Cartwright like going to The Royal George as this is just around the corner, at the bottom of Crwys road. If you are looking for somewhere cheap then I recommend The Taf, which is in the Students’ Union. It is very busy and social, and the food is very cheap and good!