Welsh College of Horticulture

Welsh College of Horticulture

Age: 56

History: Founded in 1954, as the Flintshire Institute of Horticulture. Merged with Deeside College and transferred Higher Education provision to Glyndwr University in 2009.

Address: North Wales - just 12 miles west of Chester and three miles from Mold.

Ambience: The College has one campus just outside Northop. Dating back to the 1950s, the beige and red brick buildings nestle in 90 hectares of grounds.

Vital statistics: Offers further and higher education courses and work-based learning, plus a wide range of professional short courses and leisure programmes. Student numbers have increased in recent years: in 2008-09 there were 394 full-time and 4,054 part-time learners. Keen on sport: facilities include a bowling green, three-hole golf course rugby and football pitches.

Added value: The college is proud of its commercial horticultural facilities, which it reckons are the best at any land-based college in the UK. Holds the title of Centre of Excellence for Floristry and Production Horticulture. The equine centre has stabling for 25 horses, an indoor arena with seating gallery, outdoor riding arena and a cross-country course.

Easy to get into? Mature students will be considered without formal qualifications, but younger hopefuls should check their website for more details on specific courses.

Transport links: Flint provides the nearest train station, four miles away. The college itself is just off the A55.

Who's the boss? Principal David Jones

Teaching: A 2005 Estyn inspection awarded a Grade one for Land-based Studies and a Grade two for Caring and Health.

Nightlife: With Chester some way away, most students retire to the pubs (not clubs) of Mold for a pint of real ale. There's an active student's union that organises fundraising activities, quiz nights and student balls.

Any accommodation? Please enquire to Glyndwr University

Cheap to live there? Not bad at all - around £63 per week to live in a shared flat.

Prospectus: 01352 841 000; www.wcoh.ac.uk

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