Day at the AA: Hooke Park

Open Day Immersive Experience for Offer-Holders, Applicants and Prospective Students

Spend a day with us at our Hooke Park campus in Dorset to experience first-hand what it is like to study in our woodland campus and to find out about the facilities you may use whether your course is based in Bedford Square or Hooke Park.

Hooke Park contains a growing educational facility for design, workshop, construction and landscape-focused activities, representing a 40-year history of experimental timber construction. The site is home to the Design and Make MArch/MSc postgraduate programme, sees visits from AA units and programmes, and hosts numerous short courses, lectures and events through the year.

Day at the AA: Hooke Park will include an introduction to Hooke Park, lunch, a tour of the main highlights of the Hooke Park campus including our facilities like the Fabrication workshop and Assembly workshop, as well as the on-site lodging and refectory, and a Q&A session with programme heads and current students.

WHO IS THIS EVENT FOR?

This page is for the Day at the AA taking place at our Hooke Park, Dorset, woodland site for applicants and offer holders to any of our programmes but especially for the Design and Make MSc/MArch programme.

We encourage all applicants, offer holders and anyone thinking of applying to attend the Day at the AA: Hooke Park, as well as one of the following events:

UNDERGRADUATE APPLICANTS
If you are applying to one of our undergraduate programmes listed below, please visit the Eventbrite page to book the Day at the AA: Bedford Square:

• Foundation Programme
• BA (Hons) Architecture (RIBA Part 1) Intermediate Programme
• Graduate Certificate in Architecture (AA Transfer) Programme
• Master of Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 2) Diploma Programme

POSTGRADUATE APPLICANTS
If you are applying to one of our postgraduate programmes listed below, please visit the What’s On page to book the relevant Day at the AA event:

• Architecture and Urbanism (DRL) MArch
• Conservation and Reuse MA/PGDip
• Design and Make MSc/MArch (Book on this page)
• Emergent Technologies and Design MSc/MArch
• History and Critical Thinking in Architecture MA
• Housing and Urbanism MA/MArch
• Spatial Performance and Design (AAIS) MA/MFA
• Sustainable Environmental Design MSc/MArch
• Architecture and Urban Design (Projective Cities) Taught MPhil
• PhD Programme

PROGRAMME
Day at the AA: Hooke Park, 19 March

9.20am Train from London Waterloo (participant to book themselves)
11.48am Arrive at Crewkerne, minibus to Hooke Park
12.20pm Arrive at Hooke Park, Welcome and Introduction
1pm Lunch (included)
1.45pm Tour of the campus, fabrication demonstration and Q&A with programme heads and current students
3.45pm Mini-bus to Crewkerne Station (to book a seat on the minibus please indicate it on the booking form, alternatively you can arrange a taxi transfer to the campus)
4.19pm Train from Crewkerne to London Waterloo (participant to book themselves)
6.49pm Arrival into London Waterloo

TRAVELLING TO HOOKE PARK, DORSET:
Attendees are required to make their own travel arrangements to Hooke Park. We have limited places available on a mini-bus to collect attendees who are arriving by train. Please see further details below.

REACH US BY TRAIN:
The most convenient route for travel from London is to Crewkerne (2.5 hours). A mini-bus will be available to collect attendees arriving on the train that departs London Waterloo at 9.20am and arrives at Crewkerne at 11.48am. The mini-bus will drop attendees back to Crewkerne station in time for the train departing Crewkerne at 4.19pm and arriving back in London Waterloo at 6.49pm.

Please use the booking form to indicate whether you would like a space on the mini-bus. The mini-bus has a limited number of seats and will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. Reservation requests for the mini-bus must be received by 12 MARCH 2026. We will email you confirmation of your seat within 1 week of your booking, if you would like to reach out to us please email outreach@aaschool.ac.uk

Please note: only the cost of the mini-bus will be covered, all other transportation costs including the train fare should be covered by the attendee.

Dorchester, Yeovil and Maiden Newton stations are also nearby. SeeTrainlinefor details of train departure times.

TAXIS:
Taxis for transfer to Hooke Park can be pre-booked with Craig's Taxis 01308 861 000, Just Drive Taxis at 0800 062 2111, Novus Taxis at 01308 297 000 or with Dorset to Doorstep on 07725548013 (dorsettodoorstep@gmail.com).

REACH US BY CAR:
Road access is via the main entrance gate on the north-east side of the site, close to Hooke village. Approach from Crewkerne via the A303 and A3066, from Beaminster via the B3163, or from Dorchester via the A37 and A356. The approach road to Hooke Park is narrow and single-track in places.

FOOD AND DRINK:
Lunch will be included and available in the refectory on campus. Please use the booking form to give details of any dietary requirements by 12 MARCH 2026. We regret that dietary requirements of which we are informed after this date may not be able to be accommodated.

ADDRESS:
Architectural Association
Hooke Park, Beaminster
Dorset DT8 3PH