The University of Roehampton is spread across four historic colleges, each with its own Georgian mansion and parkland, and its campus backs onto Richmond Park. Next to it stands the Alton Estate, one of the most ambitious post-war housing schemes in Britain, whose slab blocks were inspired by Le Corbusier. Roehampton is also a centre for sport, with the national tennis centre, private sports clubs and acres of pitches. Minibus hire Roehampton customers book is mostly students and clubs, with fixtures, tournaments, field trips and Heathrow runs.
Roehampton sits in the south-west corner of Wandsworth, between Putney, Barnes and Richmond Park, with the A3 along its southern edge and Roehampton Lane running through it. From our base in SE1, it's about thirty-five to forty-five minutes outside the rush hour, along the Embankment and over Putney Bridge.
Minibus hire Roehampton for university clubs
The University of Roehampton's sports clubs, from football, rugby and netball to dance and athletics, play in university leagues across London and the south-east, and its societies book us for conferences, trips and nights out. Departments, from sport science and education to anthropology and zoology, book us for field trips with equipment.
The four colleges, Whitelands, Digby Stuart, Froebel and Southlands, sit on different parts of the campus, each with its own entrance, so tell us which one when you book. Wednesday afternoons are the busiest for fixtures. For a season of matches, the dates can be sent through in one go. Graduation ceremonies bring families from abroad, and we collect them from hotels and bring them to the campus.
Tennis, rugby and the sports clubs
The National Tennis Centre, home of the Lawn Tennis Association, is on Priory Lane, and Wimbledon's qualifying tournament has been played at the Bank of England Sports Ground in Roehampton in the week before the Championships. The Roehampton Club, Rosslyn Park rugby club and the many private sports grounds along Priory Lane and Roehampton Vale host fixtures, tournaments and junior festivals. Junior tennis tournaments at the National Tennis Centre draw players and parents from across the country.
Clubs, schools and groups of fans book us to get there and back. On qualifying days, the lanes around the grounds are busy, so we'll drop at an agreed point and set a meeting point for the return. Minibus hire Roehampton clubs book for a junior rugby festival usually means an early start and several age groups on the same vehicle schedule.
Richmond Park and field trips
Richmond Park, the largest of London's royal parks, meets Roehampton at Roehampton Gate, and its deer, ancient oaks and ponds suit field trips for biology and geography students, school groups and walking clubs. The Isabella Plantation is famous for its azaleas and camellias in spring.
The park has its own rules for vehicles, including gate times and restrictions on commercial traffic, so we'll check the route before planning a drop inside and often use the gate on the edge. The car parks at Roehampton Gate and Sheen Gate make good meeting points for a walking group. Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common, a few minutes south across the A3, suit cross-country runs and nature walks.
Queen Mary's Hospital and community groups
Queen Mary's Hospital, on Roehampton Lane, became famous for fitting artificial limbs to soldiers after the First World War and still runs a limb-fitting centre among other services. Staff and patients' families book us for events and visits. The Alton Estate's community groups, churches and youth clubs book us for days out and outings to the coast.
For community trips, the driver collects from the estate or a meeting point and drops at the destination. Tell us about any mobility needs, and we'll make sure the vehicle suits the group.
Heathrow for international students
Heathrow is about twenty-five to thirty-five minutes from Roehampton outside the rush hour, via the A316 and the M3 or through Richmond and the A4. Gatwick is about forty-five minutes to an hour, via the A3 and the M25. International students arriving at the start of term and leaving at the end often travel with a lot of luggage, and a group run is easier than the train and two buses.
Roehampton Lane and the Robin Hood roundabout
Roehampton Lane is the main route through the area, and it's busy with buses and campus traffic at peak times. The A3 along the southern edge meets the area at the Robin Hood roundabout, which queues in the morning and evening, and the Upper Richmond Road to the north is slow through Putney. The campus roads are private and narrow in places, with speed humps. For pickups, we'll agree a point at the right college entrance, and for early flights we'll allow a margin for the A3.
For minibus hire in Roehampton, call 020 7183 0567.