Postgraduate Physics in the UK.

[Son Goku]

Could somebody tell what Durham and York are like for theoretical physics.

Both of them have rank quite high on the RAE and Teaching Quality, but what are people's opinions of them.
They're basically my first two choices for postgrad, so I'm looking for impressions of them.

Even information on what the universities are like to live in and general atmosphere.

 

[rho]

I have visited both recently (I applied to both for undergraduate entry in 2006). They showed us round the departments and york seemed to be far superior for computational and theoretical physics.
Both universities have a collegiate system but Durham is in the city centre and York is a on a very nice campus in the outskirts of york. Both uni's are a bit quiet compared to others in large cities (such as London) and both cities are small and historic with nice architecture etc.

P.S I'm not sure if if this is true but some of the students (undergrads I guess) at durham are supposed to be very stuck up.

 

[Mulder]

Son Goku are you an undergrad in the UK or abroad?

I can't give a first hand report of Durham and York, don't know any PhDs there either, but to add to what rho said, I think Durham's high energy physics group is more well known. Both in definitely in the 10 or so schools usually ranked just below oxford/cambridge.

I don't know if it's true about some students being stuck up at Durham especially, I've heard that some who have been to oxford/cambridge for their undergrad degree and then gone elsewhere to grad school can be, but I'm sure you'd find most of the people cool. As rho said again, there are strong cultural similarities between the two (at least compared to lost of other parts of the country)