Spacious campsites

[Morter]

I know "where to camp" threads are two-a-penny but I was wondering which fields are normally the least crowded?

I'm not too fussed about being right near the action, just looking for somewhere fairly flat, where there is a bit of space around my tent and which (hopefully) won't flood if it rains...

Does such a field exist? Am I being unrealistic?

Cheers!

[Chrisbristol]

Well we stayed in bushy ground between gate A and D. When we arrived it seemed spot on. We set up at the top of the hill on a slight slope. Then towards mid afternoon it was still empty. We thought we had made a mistake as we could see other fields almost full up. Turned out to be spot on. Easy to find our tent, loads of space, we had five large tents plus a gazebo and still a bit of room surrounding us. I know everyone will have opinions but for us it was a great spot. Ok it's bit of a walk but seeing where some of our friends stayed it was tent upon tent. I strongly recommend this area, quiet on a night and lots of space for the first day and a half.

[Morter]

Brilliant, cheers bud, sounds just what we're after!

from another Chris in Bristol...

[Boris]

Excellent knowledgable detail about the various camping fields http://www.glastoearth.com/the-faq/faq-part-3

[Morter]

Excellent knowledgable detail about the various camping fields http://www.glastoear...-faq/faq-part-3

[mr gumby]

Thanks Boris, I've seen that, think that Pylons or Bushy Ground is the place to do for us.

With regards to car parking, do you get given a choice as to which car park you go into or does it just depend where you arrive from?

Cheers!

[AnnaGrant]

You do get a choice when it comes to parking, but it's only this: East or West. apart from that you get directed to the field that's being filled when you arrive, nothing more you can do. So, if you decide to aim for either Pylon or Bushy, head for the Western entrances and hope to be near a pedestrian gate, as either of those are quite easy to get to from either gate A or D. hope you get luckier than us, we wanted to camp in Park Home Ground the last 2 years, and got sent to park out beyond the A361 both times! a very long walk!

[mr gumby]

Last time stewards indicated for me to go into one of the carparks on the other side of the road from the festival, but I smiled nicely and said I'd like to go on further and try for one of the other carparks. They were fine with this and waved me on down the road. Ended up parked just 10 minutes walk from gate D.

Might depend on the steward you speak to.

[AnnaGrant]

You got a good one!

Just out of interest, when did you arrive? just wondering if it might've been because either the steward was just starting and fresh and happy, or had been working so long they'd stopped caring?

I might try this next time, although my ugly mug gurning at them might get us refused entry instead!

[mr gumby]

About 1.30pm on the Wednesday. Although the PS to this story is that when we drove off the road onto the field it was so muddy, and I could see a car with smoke coming from its engine as it was burning itself out, that I said please let me go back to the other carpark but by then I couldn't go back. More of the helpful stewards gave me a push. Our car is a hybrid with funny antislip jiggery pokery under the bonnet and is awful in slippy conditions. But we were fine.

[AnnaGrant]

I find that company cars are good for that sort of thing. I sensibly left my own car at home.

My partner carried a sizeable amount of Glastonbury mud under his wheel arches for ages after that weekend.

[doobie ninja]

a lad i used to know did Glasto every year, normally arrived in or around lunch time on the Wed. He always camps around bushy ground / paines ground and says it takes days to full up and is fairly quiet.

He reckons the walk to "the attractions" wasnt to bad, but ive heard others say it takes hours!

[Mr.Tickle]

Hmm, Paines ground *used* to take ages to fill up but with the earlier gate openings it now appears to fill up as quick as anywhere else, we used to get there early hours of Thursday morning but now there's no space there at that time

[amfy]

Paines has been crew camping for the last 2 Glastoburies. We used to camp there but have ended up trying for Dairy next door, which is getting increasingly packed by a combination of Paines overspill & increasing popularity.

[Jie Bie]

What is Dairy like when it rains?

[LondonTom]

Looked a proper mess in places last year from the mud! (I remember it having some space left but it was just a bloody churned up mud pit to set up on!)

[mr gumby]

What is Dairy like when it rains?

[Jie Bie]

Dairy was very busy last year on the Wednesday, not just for people setting up camp there, but also people passing through from PGD to other camping fields. Not sure what the upper areas were like near The Park, but with persistent rain the lower areas got to look like a ploughed field! I'd say check the weather forecast before you camp there. If it's going to be wet, it'll be worth an extra 20 mins walk with your gear to get somewhere less muddy!

[Digi]

We tend to camp at the top of Paines Ground (the part which is still public camping). REALLY close to Gate D so we don't have to lug everything for miles - It was a Godsend in 2011 after queuing in the rain and trying to get up the path of death. It was busier last year than the year before, probably because people were knackered after queuing to get in so just decided to camp were they dropped! Plenty of space for the 20 of us or so who were there last year to set up and have a decent fire

I'd say its probably a 10 minute walk to The Other stage and about the same to The Park. I never really notice the distance to anywhere though as I always get sidetracked going wherever I originally set off to go!

Oh, and it wasn't particularly muddy at all there last year - the main 'paths' were, but the area around the tents stayed fine underfoot

Edited October 22, 2012 by Digi

[glasto-worker]

Ok I hold my hand up as I have not camped in a public area since 1987 but if I had to camp I would camp in Bushy Ground or at the side of Paines Ground

As you will see from the images below most people are rushing past both areas which does not make any sense to me as the further I get from gate D means a longer walk with gear on the way out.

Bushy Ground used to be a Crew area and currently we use Paines Ground { which has been in use for the past few years by the WBC } so I am well used to each area and what access this allows.

Sure there may be better campsites that allow a better view but unless a person has access to a helicopter its difficult to shift all the gear.

this is the field next to Paines Ground { so Gate D is just to the rear and the right }

this is Bushy Ground { so Gate D is just to the rear }

[Digi]

Ok I hold my hand up as I have not camped in a public area since 1987 but if I had to camp I would camp in Bushy Ground or at the side of Paines Ground

As you will see from the images below most people are rushing past both areas which does not make any sense to me as the further I get from gate D means a longer walk with gear on the way out.

Bushy Ground used to be a Crew area and currently we use Paines Ground { which has been in use for the past few years by the WBC } so I am well used to each area and what access this allows.

Sure there may be better campsites that allow a better view but unless a person has access to a helicopter its difficult to shift all the gear.

this is the field next to Paines Ground { so Gate D is just to the rear and the right }

[glasto-worker]

Yep - that is where we end up - right up against the security fence so no one can fall into the tent pissed (except me!)

[Digi]

Do you mean the strip of grass next to the blue fence on the left ? which is in fact the dividing fence into my crew campsite.

Only problem about using that specific area is that you are very close to the metal road and that is in constant use - supermarket trolleys make it a right racket when they are pushed on that track.

this is a overhead shot http://www.wbc-team....ge-2011-65.html and if you know where to look you can see the divide.