The Royal Veterinary College (informally the RVC) is a veterinary school located in London and a member institution of the federal University of London. The RVC was founded in 1791 and joined the University of London in 1949. It is the oldest and largest Veterinary school in the United Kingdom, and one of only nine in the country where students can study to become a vet.
The RVC has two campuses, one in Camden in Central London and the other near Potters Bar in Hertfordshire. On the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine course, students spend two years in Camden followed by three years in Potters Bar.
The 1930s buildings on Royal College Street in Camden Town, near St Pancras railway station remain, with minor extensions. Around half of the undergraduate students are based there at any one time. The Camden campus is also home to the main bulk of the RVC Student Union (RVCSU), including the main college bar, the Haxby.
The Hawkshead Campus is located in Brookmans Park, rural Hertfordshire, about 17 miles (27 km) north of central London, was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1959. The majority of the college sports teams train and play on the sports courts and fields at this campus, which is also home to the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, Bolton’s Park Farm and the Buttery (a second union-run bar).