Life at Harwell - Harwell Campus

Surrounded by beautiful countryside and acres of traffic-free space, Harwell is a place to connect with both nature and our scientific community.

Whether you’re just visiting or planning to settle locally, South Oxfordshire is among the highest rating counties in the UK for quality of life.

The bustle of nearby Oxford, combined with the solace of the Oxfordshire countryside, makes life at Harwell something to be treasured.

Sports teams and clubs

Harwell Campus is home to a wide variety of sports teams and clubs, served by a well-appointed sports pavilion and pitches. The campus also links up with the Ridgeway, a mixed-surface path that’s perfect for walking, running and cycling

Outdoor Gym
Weekly football kick about

Football Team sports
Yoga

Yoga
Harwell Laboratories Recreation Association

Team sports
Harlequin Bowmen

Archery
Table Tennis

Table Tennis
Squash

Squash
Tennis

Tennis
Rounders

Rounders Team sports
Croquet

Croquet
Evening Cricket League

Cricket Team sports
Harwell International Cricket Club

Cricket Team sports
6-a-side football

Football Team sports
Harwell R.U.F.C

Rugby Team sports
The Fitness Experts

Gym
Harwell Running Club

Running
HarBUG

Cycling
Endeavour Personal Training

Gym

Interest groups

Our thriving campus community is growing every day, and interest groups are a great way to connect with new people. Engage with lively professional forums, join networking groups, socialise and attend events on and off campus.

Neurodiversity Group

Harwell’s Neurodiversity Group meet every few months in-person to share best practice and to get to know each other. The group is open to those based on and around campus and interested in learning more about neurodiversity. We’re open to the neurotypical, the neurodiverse, the undecided and the plain curious.
Harwell NextGen

If you’re in the early stages of your career and would value meeting like-minded people on campus for social and professional gatherings and networking.
Harwell Connect

Connect Harwell’s bi-monthly events are open to all campus organisations and sectors
Harwell Rocket Group

Part of the UK’s amateur rocketry community, the Harwell Rocket Group provides a collaborative, friendly environment for recreational rocketry.

Your Commute

Introducing our new Travel Hub, your go-to spot for easy travel solutions to and from campus.

Check live bus schedules and find alternative commuting options. You can also take advantage of our amenities, including toilets and showers equipped with hairdryers and straighteners.

For cyclists, we offer exclusive access to a secure area for bike storage and maintenance. Lock up your bike, use the maintenance stand and refill your water bottle.

Open Monday to Friday from 7:30 to 20:00.

You can find the Travel Hub here.

Request Access

Employees at Harwell Campus can get an exclusive 25% discount on the South Oxfordshire Zone or cityzone & South Oxfordshire Zone products on the key and the Oxford Bus app.

This discount is available on the following tickets:

CountryZone and Cityzone & CountryZone 12-trip, 1 week, 4 weeks, 13 weeks, any 5 days & annual tickets
Oxford to Harwell return and 10-trip tickets.

To download our guide to Harwell Campus bus services, please click here.

Learn more

Didcot Parkway rail station is only 5 miles away, with direct services to Central London (Paddington) in under 45 minutes and Oxford City Centre in under 15 minutes.

Frequent bus services, taxi’s and bike hire are available to onward travel to campus.

Book your train

Our bike hire scheme is available to all Harwellians via the Donkey Republic app.

Available to use to and from campus, simply locate a bike via the Donkey Republic app and you’re good to go.

Bike Scheme

For a convenient and cost effective way of travelling to campus, how about taking part in our lift share scheme?

Learn More

Getting Around Campus

Bikes and E-bikes

Fast, green and safe – bikes are a great way to travel around Harwell. Our bike loan scheme is available to all Harwellians via the Donkey Republic app.

With 48 hours free usage, they’re ideal for quick commutes and leisurely lunch hours.

Learn More

Autonomous Bus

Our autonomous bus service is a zero-emissions driverless shuttle. It runs morning to evening on weekdays, covering two routes: Fermi Avenue and Eighth Avenue, both via the ESA.

Shuttle passes are available for free to campus pass-holders and their registered guests.

Learn More

Facilities and lifestyle

Easily accessible by foot, bike, or bus Harwell’s facilities put you and your family first. Our 200+ companies and facilities include family health and medical services to childcare and salon treatments.

Amenities map

Resonate Hearing Centre

Resonate Hearing Centre offers comprehensive private audiology services for adults covering all aspects of hearing healthcare. Our services include ear wax removal using microsuction, irrigation and instrumentation, hearing tests, hearing consultation, prescription, and fitting of digital hearing aids. We also specialise in providing hearing protection for swimmers, motor bikers, for shooting activities and for those…
Evolve Rehabilitation & Therapy

Preventative and rehabilitative physical therapies for sports injuries and musculoskeletal conditions, psychological therapy and coaching for mental health, performance and wellbeing.
Post Office & Mini Mart

The Post Office is located inside McColls on Curie Avenue, open seven days a week. You can stock up on basic supermarket items at McColls, or grab a quick lunch from the hot food counter.
Ridgeway House Hotel

Our on-campus accommodation is ideally situated for beamtime users and visiting researchers. With 123 fully-furnished rooms, WiFi, kitchen, and dining facilities, you can enjoy a comfortable stay, whether you’re working, resting or just visiting.
Nurseries & Schools

Our on-site nursery, Bright Horizons , is perfectly situated for Harwell employees, providing high quality childcare from 3 months to 5 years. And just off campus towards Didcot, there’s a choice of good primary and secondary schools for 4 – 16+ year olds
Chiropractor

Based on the Harwell campus for over 15 years, Karen Ambrose is a McTimoney Chiropractor who specialises in treatments for people and animals. Find her practice on Curie Avenue.
Dentist

Your New Smile (Harwell) Ltd provides private dental services and specialised treatments to the campus and wider region, replacing the campuses old dental practice. Located on Eighth St., the practice is open for general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, emergency dental services, dental hygiene, and facial aesthetic treatments.
Hairdresser

Atomic Salon is an established hair salon offering bespoke treatments for all the family. Friendly and affordable, you can relax in the experienced hands of professionals.

Sign up for the Member of the Future app

The Member of the Future app is available exclusively for ARC members and provides everything you need to make the most of Harwell Campus. You can book classes or meeting rooms, enter competitions and find exclusive discounts. We’re improving the functionality all the time and will be adding add car park booking, visitor registration, shuttle timetables and access to space on our other campuses over the next few months. Scan the QR code or click below to download.

Download Member of the Future app

Wildlife and the environment

Clean, calm, quiet, and free from traffic. The green spaces within Harwell are a mix of landscaped areas and re-wilding zones. Reset with a head-clearing stroll around campus or take in the scenery by bike while you explore the area.

Helping our environment thrive

Happy bees are vital for a healthy environment. We have six buzzing hives on campus. Find out more in our Bee Diary

In line with our commitment to increase biodiversity, we’ve designated specific re-wilding areas. The wildflowers that grow here will help our local fauna to thrive.

Take back some time for you. Walking through wild, natural landscape is a great way to boost mood and cultivate well-being. Pond-gazing, forest bathing, cloud…