Barnsley is in the centre of the UK, just off the M1 motorway, between Sheffield and Leeds. It has become a popular destination for students - with good reason. With a population of just under 220,000, Barnsley has a friendly, small town feel with excellent markets and one of the cheapest 'shopping baskets' in the country. The town offers a variety of sporting, social and cultural activities and the cosmopolitan cities of Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield are within easy reach. You can enjoy the best of both worlds - small town costs and big city facilities.

Barnsley has a theatre, cinemas, award-winning nightclubs, working museums and galleries, diverse restaurants and take-aways, atmospheric pubs, alternative music and cabaret venues. It also hosts annual music and beer festivals.

For sports fans, Barnsley has an ultra-modern sports complex - the Metrodome - close to the town centre. The town also boasts an excellent football club, Barnsley FC. A short bus or train ride will take you to Meadowhall, one of Europe's largest and finest shopping centres, or to the Elsecar Heritage Centre, a £5m visitor attraction with craft shops, steam railway and science centre.

If you like to get away from it all at weekends, then the Peak District National Park overlaps the town's western fringes. You will find miles of footpaths and spectacular Pennine landscapes. Ninety per cent of Barnsley is 'greenfield'.

Barnsley is very student-orientated, with many pubs doing student specials on various nights of the week and nightclubs offering cheap entry at weekends. Barnsley is only a short bus or train ride from Sheffield and Leeds which host a number of fantastic nightclubs including The Leadmill, Pulse, The Roxy, Zone Niche and the infamous Club Barcelona.