University of Liverpool

Liverpool lies in the north-west of England, on the other side of the Mersey from Birkenhead, and famously won the title of European Capital of Culture for 2008. Lime Street Station (1¾ hours west from Leeds) sits at the epicentre of this culture, amidst the galleries and spaces of the Museum Quarter.

Head up Hardman Road, past the bars and restaurants, and you’ll find the main campus of the University of Liverpool, which has also gone through a recent face-lift, smartening up its principal buildings and making the most of its green spaces. It’s not the easiest campus to navigate, due partly to its size, but many of the university’s key buildings all lie within a stone’s throw from each other (such as the large Student Union, the sports complex, and the libraries), making your initial introduction a little simpler.

Notable graduates include historian Ian Kershaw, poet Carol Ann Duffy, and journalist Jon Snow.