University of Cumbria

How can we be England's newest university and have a long history? Read on to find out more.

Training teachers
St Martin's College was the largest of the institutions which went on to form our university. It was founded in Lancaster by the Church of England in 1964 to train teachers. It grew over the years and developed a fine reputation for the quality of its teacher and health professional training, opening a campus in Carlisle along the way as well as taking over Charlotte Mason College in Ambleside.

Artistic tradition
The former Cumbria Institute of the Arts can trace its history back to 1822 when the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts was formed in Carlisle. It eventually became the only specialist institute of the arts in North West England and one of only a small number of such institutions in the country. Recent alumni include Turner Prize winner, actor Charlie Hunnam, Gerard McKeown, performance poet and ceramicist, Tom Hopkins Gibson, recently commissioned by Liberty of London.

In the country
In August 2007 we acquired University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) sites in Cumbria including its campus at Newton Rigg with its long history of agricultural training. Today it is the home of the National School of Forestry, the Centre for Wildlife Conservation and our outdoor studies courses - more outdoor students study with us than with any other higher education institution in Europe.