College Facilities
Butler is proud to offer modern, accessible, and inclusive facilities to support both academic life and college community events.
The Mound
Fun fact, we own the mound. What first was a place where they put excavated dirt, and is now it's own little ecosystem, which you can in fact climb to the top, and see the Durham cathedral!
Accomodation Blocks
We have four accomodation blocks, named after places of importance to Josephine Butler (the person); Kirknewton, Dilston, Milfield, and Wooler. Undergraduate freshers are usually allocated to Dilston, Milfield, or Wooler, whilst postgraduates and returners are allocated to Kirknewton and Dilston. Rooms tend to be very similar to each other, except for some minor differences. You will be in a flat sharing a kitchen with 5 other people. All rooms at the college are en-suite.
JBs (The Bar)
JBs is the largest college bar in Durham. Open termtime, from 7pm to 11pm (Sunday to Thursday), or 12am (Friday to Saturday), it serves a range of food (until 9:30pm) and drinks, including our college drinks (all colleges have these!), the Suffragist, the Butler Bomb, the Reformer, and the Butler Sunrise. JBs also hosts Freshers' Week events, post-formal entertainments, and other bar nights! It has two darts boards and three pool tables which are used by our pool and darts teams, but you can also make use of them when they're free! In the daytime, JBs is an excellent place to study, or to hang out with friends.
The JCR / MCR Lounge
The JCR (for undergraduates), and MCR (for postgraduates and mature students) each have separate lounges, kitted out with sofas, boardgames, a TV with videogames, and much more! Some of our college societies and committees host their sessions in these rooms.
Library Lounge
The Library Lounge is our college library, with comfy sofas and bean bags, computers and a printer, and sometimes you will find the Welfare Committee running a Tea and Toast event in there!
Dance Studio
The Dance Studio is mainly used by our Dance Troupe and our Cheerleading Poms Squad, but you can also book the room and dance with your friends if you want!
Group Study
The Group Study room is a collaborative space (with a big table, computers and a big screen for presentations) to study.
Quiet Study
The Quiet Study is a place to study in silence, with some desks kitted out with PCs, and other desks just with space for you, your laptop, or any papers you might be working on!
JB's Lawn
JBs Lawn is right outside JBs, and is an excellent place to sit and chill. Our annual Butler Day is centered around this space with a big stage erected at one end, with the whole Butler community gathered on the lawn and watching live music and hanging out with friends (hopefully in the glorious sunshine).
Howlands Hall
Shared with Stephenson College. A big hall - where you can play sports indoors, hold / attend events, including our college formals!
Seminar Room / Old Shop
The Seminar Room and the Old Shop are two rooms on the side of the Howlands building which can be booked out by societies and committees for their sessions.
Quiet Room
The Quiet Room is mostly used by the Welfare Committee to host drop-ins and other welfare events, but is also sometimes used by the college chaplain.
Music Room
The Music Room is a room on the side of the Howlands building equipped with various music equipment such as a drum kit, a piano, and music stands. It is often where college bands will rehearse, but you can also book the room yourself if you want to practise your instrument without disturbing your flatmates!
Gym
The gym is shared with Stephenson College. It is kitted out with an array of gym equipment from weights, to treadmills, to gym bikes. Gym membership only costs £45 for the year if you are a JCR member!
Multi-Use Games Area
The Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) is shared with Stephenson College and is where our netball and tennis teams run their sessions, but you can also book it yourself if you fancy a tennis match with a friend!
The Allotment
The Allotment, complete with greenhouse, beautifully decorated shed, and planting beds is run by our Allotment Society, who grow vegetables and keep the allotment neat and tidy throughout the year.
Milfield Field
Milfield Field is a multi-purpose sports field used by our many sports teams in college
Laundry Room
The laundry room is shared with Stephenson College, and attached to the Howlands Hall, you can tell you are there by the fresh smell of laundry! Washes start from £4.40 (like for all laundry rooms in the university), and drying is free.
Saltwell Building
Also a shared facility with Stephenson College - a smaller area than the Howlands Hall, which can host other events, such as talks.