Getting to gate B Family Caming from the Midlands

[steph78]

Hi All,

Hope you guys can help me, really want to get a good spot in Family camping near the kidz field.

We are coming from the midlands, what time should we set off and how do we get to gate B etc?

Your help would be very much appreciated xxx

Edited April 19, 2015 by steph78

[pie_and_a_pint]

You need to head for the East car parks - this is Blue route or Purple Route. Once there you don't get a choice of car park, and it may be that you end up nearer to Gate C than to Gate B. Either way it's relatively easy to get to Cockmill Meadow Family Camping.

Cockmill Meadow is usually full by Wednesday lunchtime, so you'll need to use Google Maps to plan how long your drive is going to take then work backwards from whatever time you want to arrive (plus queueing - this is MASSIVELY variable but as a guide we drove into the East car park just before 6am in both 2013 and 2014. In 2013 we were pitched up on the big Ground by 8.45 drinking a G&T; in 2014 it was after 10am before we got to the same place).

If you're unsuccessful getting a space in Cockmill, I think Wicket on the other side of the site usually has spaces till Friday.

I don't know where in the 'the Midlands' you're coming from, but as an example, we come from west Oxfordshire and our route is A40 > A429 > A350 > A361 (which is roughly Witney > Cirencester > Malmesbury > Chippenham > Trowbridge > Frome > Shepton Mallet). Obviously, others will have views on better routes on bigger roads but we never hit traffic until Shepton coming the 'back roads'.

Edited April 19, 2015 by pie_and_a_pint

[whisty]

To ensure getting a camping spot they want in a popular field, people start arriving and forming a Q the night before. It's horrible and couldn't even imagine doing that with small ones in tow. Might be better to just figure on camping in Wicket. It's quite a walk if you fail to get a space in Cockmill.

Edited April 19, 2015 by whisty

[steph78]

Thank you both

Really want to be in this camp not the wicket one, so will leave about 4am ish, do u think we would be ok then?

[congopowers]

Wicket had been sparsely populated both times we've used it (2010/2014).. to the extent you could have a game of 5-a-side between tents

unfortunately, facilities are sparse.. (very nice loos though)

on cockmill you have the place just outside that sells half decent coffee and pretty good food.. as well as the breakfast bar in the field and the obvious kids/circus fields close by (and the real ale tent/whisky bar)

the main issue with cockmill is that it's the first field as you come thru the most congested gate, so you get a lot of people naffed off who just decide enough is enough and pitch in the first available space after hours of slow queueing.. in 2010 there was nobody at the entrance to let just families in, so it got very crowded very quickly.. (which is when we discovered wicket), in 2013 they'd sorted it out and it was just families (filled up by Thurs morning) .. didn't try last year as we'd decided on wicket before hand

so in short, I have no idea!! but if I was you I'd get there early hours weds

edit - I'd leave earlier.. about midnight

Edited April 19, 2015 by congopowers

[Spindles]

Head down towards Oxford then in from the east, rather than hanging towards Bristol as you normally would when travelling southwest, signposted/easy satnav route to the east car parks without too much of a detour.