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Colchester Campus Accommodation

North Towers

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The Towers accommodation at night

The sky's the limit

Our iconic North Towers always have been and still are, the heart and soul of our Colchester Campus and a local landmark.

With everything on your doorstep, you can roll out of bed and still be on time for lectures.

Reduced availability

Due to essential maintenance works in the North Towers, the number of available single rooms and self-contained apartments will be greatly reduced for the 2026-27 academic year.

 

 

The details
679 (available 180)
Colchester Campus
Shared, Private
Undergraduate students, Postgraduate students
Room and Accommodation Type 2026-2027 Prices 
Standard single shared £127.89
Self-contained apartments - only available for postgraduate students on a 50 week contract from £277.90

Check out the 2025-26 prices.

  
Don't forget, you can apply for accommodation with us as soon as we're your first choice. 
Apply for accommodation now

Please note that contract lengths vary in line with course dates. Postgraduate courses are normally 50 weeks and undergraduate courses are normally 39 weeks, however, some courses start earlier or finish later than others.

About The Towers

Just a two-minute walk to the centre of campus, the North Towers are located near Essex Business School, and the Tony Rich, Causeway and North Teaching Centres.

Offering a real sociable atmosphere, the North Towers has a great sense of community where you can hang out with friends and feel the buzz of people sharing a flat together. Each Tower has two lifts per building and an emergency staircase.

The rooms

Standard single shared

  • Undergraduates only.
  • Each flat has a shared central kitchen with rooms around it.
  • Flats have shared toilet and bathroom facilities (3 toilets and 2 showers per flat in Tawney and William Morris, 4 showers and 4 toilets per flat in Keynes and Rayleigh).
  • Bedrooms include desk, chair, bed, wardrobe, shelving, mirror, lamp, bin.
  • Kitchens have a hob, oven, multiple fridges and freezers, a microwave, and a kettle (ironing board and hoover also provided for the flat).
  • Typical bedroom size is 9.3m3.
  • Flats typically host 14 to 16 students.
  • Limited number of smaller flats hosting between 3 and 7 students on the bottom and top floors of each tower.

Self-contained apartments

  • Postgraduates only (50 week rental contract).
  • Variety of layouts with bathroom, kitchen, lounge, and bedroom.
  • Kitchen facilities include an oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, kettle, vacuum cleaner and ironing board.
  • Bedroom includes a double bed, desk, and wardrobe. Some beds can be exchanged for twin single beds.
  • Only 5 self-contained apartments available, types B, C, and D for 2025-26.
  • Allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Tower safety

Our Towers at Colchester fall within and adhere to the requirements set out in the Building Safety Act. The requirements of this Act reflects well with our ongoing commitment across all our accommodation to provide the safest spaces possible.

As required by Legislation we have submitted the Safety Cases to the Governmental Regulator for review and approval.

All students living within our Towers will be invited to be involved with our residence engagement process, working with some of Resident Ambassadors and members of the University staff.

Walking distances
  • 5 minutes or less: North and Causeway Teaching Centres, Essex Business School, Lecture Theatre Building, The Squares and SU shop.
  • 15 minutes or less: Sports arena and gym, bus stops (routes to Hythe and Wivenhoe train stations and central Colchester).
  • 30 minutes or less: Tesco, Home Bargains, Hythe train station.

Image gallery

Two students talking in their kitchen
3-Year Price Lock

New students can lock in the current prices for the duration of your studies with our NEW 3-year price lock contract. Keep the same room you've made home, summer accommodation at the same rate and no price increases for 3 years. Peace of mind and easy living!

Find out more

Life in North Towers

In your room

Your room will be provided with a standard set of furniture including a bed with mattress, a wardrobe, a desk and a chair. You will need to bring your own bedding (duvet, pillows and bed sheets) as well as any other decorative items.

We do not allow damage to the wall from nails or screws, but you are welcome to put up posters using blue tac, or have small houseplants on your desk.


What to pack

Letters and parcels

Our post room team will deliver your mail to your kitchen daily (except for weekends, bank holidays and university closure periods). Anything that has not been collected for 3 weeks will be returned to the sender.

Any large items or anything that needs to be signed for will be kept in the university post room and you will be emailed to let you know it is waiting for you.

We also have Amazon lockers on Square 3 which you can nominate as a delivery location for Amazon purchases.

Your address

Your postal address will be made up of your tower name, followed by your flat number and room number, and the standard postcode for campus.

For example for student "Susie Jones", who is living in Room 3 of Flat 8 in Tawney Tower, her postal address would be:

Susie Jones
Tawney Tower 8/3 
ºÚÁÏÍø
Colchester
CO4 3SQ

Cleaning and laundry

Students are responsible for keeping their own rooms clean and tidy. A bin is provided in each room and a hoover can be found in the kitchen. Inspections are carried out throughout the academic year to ensure rooms are not being damaged.

Students should work together to keep shared areas, such as kitchens, free from mess and trip hazards. You will need to wash up your own dishes and wipe down surfaces after cooking.

Cleaning staff visit throughout the week to carry out routine tasks in shared spaces, such as emptying bins, mopping floors, or cleaning shared bathrooms.

Laundry

The North Towers laundry facilities are located at The Hex, less than five minutes walk away. Facilities consist of washing machines and tumble driers. You will need to provide your own detergent (which can be purchased in the SU shop on campus).


More about laundry facilities and costs

Medical centre

There is a medical centre at Colchester Campus for you to visit when you are unwell. Registration at the Centre is required in order to see a doctor, you will be able to register online either just before or when you arrive.

Pharmacies are available in Colchester and Wivenhoe for prescriptions and over the counter medications.

Benefits of campus living

There are many advantages to living on campus at Essex - you’ll have your lectures on your doorstep, get to know the University inside and out plus you’ll be right in the heart of the action.

Quality Guarantee

Accommodation Essex is a member of the Universities UK Student Accommodation Code (SAC) which sets out the quality and standards (.pdf) that students can expect from our accommodation.

To make sure we comply with the Housing Act 2004, Accommodation Essex adhere to the UUK Student Accommodation Code, which has been designed to protect your rights to safe, good quality university-managed accommodation.

Places for People (PfP), the management company for The Copse, University Quays, and The Meadows, as well as Equans, who manage The Pastures, adhere to the National Code Assured Accommodation (ANUK).

Fixed cost

At Essex, we recognise the cost of living challenges that will impact our students. For example, your weekly rent includes your energy bills and internet access.

Gym

If you are living on the Colchester Campus, then you get a silver Essex Sport gym membership included in your rent. This includes off-peak access to gym facilities, advanced booking of sports facilities such as our tennis courts, and online booking for fitness classes.

Security

Our campuses are generally very safe environments. We want to ensure that things stay this way. There is 24-hour security at our Colchester Campus.

Support services

We have a wide range of support services to help you with everyday worries in your accommodation or for practical or personal issues.

Support is available to you within your Student Services Hub, providing advice and support on a range of issues such as financial worries, immigration issues and support for students with additional needs or specific health concerns.

, run by the Students' Union, offers welfare advice to students on a range of issues. SU Advice is located on Square 3.

Insurance

By partnering with , the No.1 student insurance provider, we've arranged contents insurance for all of our students staying with us, in our residence, at no cost to you.

student looking at computer
Payments and charges

Find the full list of rent charges here.

Find out more
Girls talking at North Towers at ºÚÁÏÍø's Colchester Campus
Postal address
Name of Tower followed by Flat / Room (e.g. Bertrand Russell Tower 9/4) ºÚÁÏÍø, Wivenhoe Park 
Colchester, CO4 3SQ
student talking to support staff
Contact us

For enquiries about accommodation or about an application you're making, contact us at the Student Services Hub. Quote your full name and PRID or PG number on all correspondence.