In Writtle, our campus address is Lordship Road, Writtle, Chelmsford CM1 3RR. We're just two miles from the centre of Chelmsford.
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Our campus is a few minutes' walk from Writtle village, which is served by several local bus routes.
There is plenty of cycle parking and a number of cycle paths on or near campus.
A free shuttle bus service operates to and from Chelmsford during further education term times for students and staff only. See the section 'Free shuttle bus' below for more details.
Our campus is close to local bus routes run by First Bus which stop in Writtle village. The campus is just a few minutes' walk away.
Chelmsford has two Park and Ride sites with a regular bus service to and from the city:
If you're travelling from further afield, some National Express coaches and the X30 bus service from Stansted Airport stop at Chelmsford bus station.
Chelmsford station is on the main London Liverpool Street to Norwich line. There are up to six trains an hour to London Liverpool Street and the journey time is about 35 minutes. Regular services also run to Stratford, Shenfield, Braintree, Witham, Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea. National Rail Enquiries is helpful for planning your journey.
From Chelmsford, a free shuttle bus service runs to Writtle campus (for students and staff), picking up and dropping off near the train station.
Alternatively you can catch a First Bus from Chelmsford Bus Station (opposite the train station) to Writtle village.
Writtle is around 20 minutes’ drive from the M25 which gives excellent access to the national road network. The A12 is 15 minutes away and is a direct route into London.
If you're joining us as an international student, taxi services and airport cars are available from all major UK airports to Writtle.
There are also coach and train services from London airports, as follows.
A free shuttle bus service for students at Writtle operates during further education term times.
Please note, this service does not operate at weekends and is not available to visitors attending our Open Days.
The shuttle bus picks up in Coval Lane, Chelmsford (beside the council offices and just along the road from the main bus and train stations), and drops off at the Main Campus, and Cow Watering Campus.
There's no need to pre-book. Please note that spaces are offered to college (further education) students on a first come, first served basis and there can be high demand. In the mornings we recommend reaching the pick-up point early, so you have plenty of time to travel to Writtle before college classes start.
Bus times are:
During full service times, buses are continually in operation on the route.
Download shuttle bus service times (PDF)
In Essex, local councils have their own transport policies for students aged 16-19 who live in the area. These can help with the cost of travelling to college.
You can apply for post-16 transport assistance from Essex County Council if you are under 19 at the beginning of the academic year and meet their criteria.
If you live in the city of Southend-on-Sea, you can apply to the City Council's Post-16 Transport Scheme. The discretionary scheme is for students over the age of 16 and up to 19. Transport awards are discretionary.
Thurrock provides travel assistance for students age 16 and over if they have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and have been assessed as eligible. You can apply for assistance from 1 June 2024.
If you are eligible for transport assistance a contribution towards the cost will be required. The contribution is £23.69 per week (£900 per year). This is reduced to £11.85 per week (£450 per year) for low-income families.
If you do not have special educational needs, you can apply for a 16-19 bursary to support transport costs.
If you're aged 16-19, studying a college course and would benefit from help with transport costs, you can:
Students can buy discounted bus travel for First Essex's Student Travel Club.
You'll first need to register, using a passcode. You can get a passcode from the transport team at Writtle. Please email the following information to [email protected]:
From week commencing 15 August, you'll receive an email containing your unique passcode and information on:
Find out more about fares and bus routes on the First Essex website.
Arriva student tickets are for anyone in post-16 full-time education with a valid student ID.
You'll get:
You can buy daily and weekly tickets on a bus using cash or a contactless card.
You can buy all types of tickets on Arriva's website or app.
When selecting your ticket, you’ll require an All Zone Student ticket.
If you want to apply for an annual ticket, visit Arriva's direct debit tickets page and:
You can set your direct debit to start at a future date, or start it now to get used to local bus routes. Once registered you can select to receive your monthly pass by post or have it sent to your phone. The monthly pass will rollover every month for as long as your direct debit remains active.
Find out more about monthly direct debit fares and plan your journey on the Arriva website.
The railcards and tickets below can be used at any time, including evenings, weekends and during college holidays.
If you're aged 16 or 17, you can get 50% off most standard Anytime, Off-Peak, Advance and Season tickets across the National Rail network.
A 16-17 Saver costs £30 and is valid for one year or until your 18th birthday, whichever comes first.
You can buy a 16-17 Saver online or by phone (call 0345 301 1656). Please note it's not available to buy at train stations. When ordering online, you can request a digital railcard or a plastic version that is posted to you.
Find out more about the 16-17 Saver, including details of any minimum fares and restrictions.
When buying a 16-17 Saver you'll need:
If you don't have any of the above forms of ID, you can upload a scan of your birth certificate or a Government-approved PASS card instead. Your application will take a little longer to process.
If you're aged 16-25 or a full-time student aged 26 and over, you can save one-third off train travel across the National Rail network with a 16-25 Railcard.
A 16-25 Railcard costs £30 and is valid for one year. There is also a 3-year version for £70; you can apply for one up until the day before your 24th birthday.
You can buy a 16-25 Railcard online, by phone (call 0345 3000 250), or in person at staffed station ticket offices. When ordering online, you can request a digital railcard or a plastic version that is posted to you.
The Railcard can also help you save money with Network Rail's partners, for example on days out and restaurants.
Find out more about the 16-25 Railcard, including details of any minimum fares and restrictions.
When buying a 16-25 Railcard you'll need:
Greater Anglia offers substantial discounts on rail travel to students aged 16-19. The following options are available:
Travel must be between any two stations within the Greater Anglia network (excludes Travelcard and Oyster areas).
Scholar tickets are available at https://railplus.greateranglia.co.uk/scholars.html or by phone on 0345 600 7245 – select option 3, then option 2.
DigiGo is an on-demand minibus service currently operating in south Braintree and central Essex. This includes our campus in Writtle.
You can book using the TravelEssex app (or by phone on 01245 203952, 10am-12pm weekdays). Concessionary fares are available for under 18s.
DigiGo vehicles have no fixed routes or timetables. Instead, you select your pick-up and drop-off points and the system automatically calculates the route, catering for any other pick-ups along the way. The app will display 'virtual stops' near to your chosen pick-up location, where you can board the minibus.
All drivers are enhanced DBS checked.
The service:
Find out where DigiGo operates or read more about the service at https://www.travelessex.co.uk/about-demand-responsive-transport/ddrt.
Information about travel assistance and discounts for students is provided as a guide, and may change. Details of some discounts become available in the summer, and we may add additional information at that time. If you'd like to receive information about transport assistance and discounts for students at Writtle, please let us know using the contact details below. We will send this information by email in July.