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List of fictional British and Irish universities

Summary

Many books and other works of fiction are set in, or refer to, fictional British or Irish universities.[1][2] This list includes identifiable fictional universities or other institutions appearing to offer degree-level qualifications, and which are located in Britain or Ireland or, in a few cases, are extra-terrestrial institutions with clear British or Irish connections. Individual Oxbridge colleges are not included as there are separate lists of these.

University name Creator Comments
University of Bantshire Anonymous Parody website and Twitter feed commenting on UK Higher Education, described as "the Banksy of the education social media world".[3][4][5]
Borchester University various Name used to disguise a university which was the subject of Angela Thody's 2012 study of emeritus professors.[6][7][8] The University is also used as an example in a variety of teaching materials for language learning.[9][10] Borchester is the fictional county town of fictional Borsetshire, in the English Midlands, scene of the long-running BBC Radio series The Archers.
The University of Bums on Seats Cynicalbastards.com "Formerly Peckham Polytechnic". A satirical invention reflecting the changing UK Higher Education system, online since at least 2001.[11][12]
Burston Central University Chris Cooper (pseudonym) Also the associated "University College of North Burston". Not to be confused with "The University of Burston" (established 1863) in the same town. Setting of The Unknown Tutor, published in December 2012 in the "Wading Through Treacle" blog and later republished. Burston is 4 hours' drive from Prestatyn but otherwise unlocated.[13][14]
University of Burston Chris Cooper (pseudonym) Established 1863 and not to be confused with Burston Central University in the same town. Featured in The Unknown Tutor, published in December 2012 in the "Wading Through Treacle" blog and later republished.[13]
University of Carrbridge Examiners in the Natural Sciences Tripos at the University of Cambridge Carrbridge is a village in the Scottish Highlands. The university and its Porterhouse College featured in statistics questions in Cambridge Natural Sciences Tripos examination papers at least from 2008 to 2011.[15]
Christminster University Thomas Hardy Jude's destination in Jude the Obscure, based on Oxford[16]
Clyde University Sea of Souls scriptwriter Clyde's Department of Parapsychology is the Glasgow setting for this BBC TV series written by David Kane. Jordanhill College, Glasgow, was used to represent the university in exterior shots.[17][18]
Dartmouth University Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong The former university of main characters Mark and Jeremy in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show.
University of Edgestow C. S. Lewis In the novel That Hideous Strength; had four colleges: Bracton College, Northumberland College, Dukes College, St. Elizabeth's College.[19] Lewis described the fictional Edgestow as a small university town more beautiful than either Cambridge or Oxford.[20]
Felpersham University The Archers scriptwriters University in the fictional cathedral city of Felpersham in Borsetshire, attended by several characters from the long-running BBC radio series The Archers.[21][22]
Fibchester University National Union of Students Subject of case studies in NUS training courses[23][24]
University of Gallifrey Doctor Who scriptwriters Located on fictional planet Gallifrey, source of the Thirteenth Doctor's doctorate; created by the BBC so undoubtedly a British institution. Merchandise available on eBay and Etsy indicates that it was established in 1963 and known as "Time Lord Academy".
University of Gloucester David Lodge Setting of Thinks ... (ISBN 0-436-44502-6)[25] Not to be confused with the real University of Gloucestershire.
University of Hilldene Ruth Rendell Alma mater of Burden's daughter Pat in Inspector Wexford; filmed at Southampton[26]
University of Inverdoon Eric Linklater The protagonist of Linklater's semi-autobiographical White Maa's Saga attends medical school at this Scottish university, either identified as University of Aberdeen or set in a town which is "a thinly veiled combination of Aberdeen and Inverness".[27][28]
King's University, also known as King's College Dublin Eilís Dillon Dublin based setting for novels including Death in the Quadrangle (Faber, 1956; republished 2009 ISBN 978-1601870445)[29][30]
Kirke University Campus scriptwriters Setting for the semi-improvised sitcom Campus[31]
University College Limerick David Lodge Employer of a character in Small World (ISBN 0-436-25663-0)[32]
Lowlands University Andrew Davies Setting for A Very Peculiar Practice[33] Possibly based on Warwick.[1]
Manchester Medlock University Fresh Meat scriptwriters Setting of TV comedy series Fresh Meat[34] The Medlock is a river in Greater Manchester.
University of Maximegalon Douglas Adams Although not known to be located in Britain or Ireland, this establishment comes from the decidedly English imagination of Douglas Adams as part of the BBC Radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and can thus be considered to be a British institution.[35]
University of North Norfolk Elly Griffiths The title character of Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series heads the department of forensic archaeology at this university near King's Lynn, Norfolk (which is not in North Norfolk local authority district).[36][37]
University of North Yorkshire Susan Parry Near Harrogate. Features in the novel Grand Depart (2013, Viridian Publishing, ISBN 978-0956789143) and other books by the same author, as the employer of central character Dr Millie Sanderson.[38]
University of Norwich Michael Frayn In the 1986 film Clockwise, written by Frayn and directed by Christopher Morahan, headmaster Brian Stimpson (Cleese) sets off to deliver a speech at this fictional university[39] (not to be confused with the University of East Anglia established 1963 in Norwich, or Norwich University of the Arts which gained university status in 2013). Scenes depicting the university were filmed at King Edward's School, Birmingham and the University of Birmingham.[40]
Poltowan University Nicola K. Smith Set in a fictional town somewhere west of Falmouth, Cornwall, this university is the setting for Smith's 2019 novel A Degree of Uncertainty (Compass, ISBN 978-1912009411) featuring tensions between students and residents.[41]
Poppleton University Laurie Taylor Nether Poppleton and Upper Poppleton are real villages just outside York. Also used by HESA as an example in official documentation[42][43]
Rummidge University David Lodge Setting of the Campus Trilogy: Changing Places, Small World and Nice Work "A thinly-veiled portrait of Birmingham".[44]
St Luke's University, Bristol Doctor Who scriptwriters Fictional university where the Twelfth Doctor taught and Bill Potts worked, first appearing in series 10, episode one The Pilot. Filming used the buildings of Cardiff University.[45]
St Rule's University Margaret Oliphant Setting of Oliphant's 1896 short story "The Library Window", based on University of St Andrews.[46]
St Sebastian's University Anonymous Setting of A Campus Conspiracy (ISBN 9780954758677), published anonymously in 2006 but attributed to Lavinia Cohn-Sherbok.[47][48]
Scumbag College The Young Ones scriptwriters College attended (or not) by the four flat-sharing students in 1980s BBC TV series The Young Ones, written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer. A highlight was the four's appearance as the college's team on University Challenge confronting Footlights College, Oxbridge.[49][50]
Skerryvore University James Bridie A Scottish university, the setting of Bridie's 1939 play What Say They?, which was adapted into the 1952 comedy film You're Only Young Twice.[51][52] Skerryvore is an island off the west of Scotland, 12 miles (19 km) beyond Tiree.
University of Tayside Traces scriptwriters Located in Dundee, Scotland, and hosts the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science and Anatomy (SIFA), the setting for the seriesTraces, made by Alibi and shown on BBC One. Filming locations include University of Bolton.[53] Also branded as "Tayside University".[54]
Unseen University Terry Pratchett Set in Discworld, but with characteristics of a very English institution.[55]
Watermouth University Malcolm Bradbury Setting of The History Man; "bears more than a passing resemblance to the University of East Anglia"[56]
Wetherton University Reginald Hill The local university is mentioned in some episodes of Dalziel and Pascoe, the BBC TV series set in fictional Wetherton, Yorkshire.[57][58]
Wetwang University Yorkshire Post columnist? Wetwang is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire[59]
Wrottesley Polytechnic Howard Jacobson Sefton Goldberg, the central character of Jacobson's 1980 novel Coming From Behind, is an unhappy lecturer at this English polytechnic "somewhere in the debased and deteriorating Midlands".[60][61] Inspired by Jacobson's experiences as a lecturer at Wolverhampton Polytechnic.[62]

Note that the red brick university in which Kingsley Amis sets Lucky Jim is unnamed.

References edit

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See also edit

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