Where's the closest pub to hole up if the queue is bad?

[snipe]

Will be getting a taxi from Bristol Airport with a few heads Wednesday Midday or so and figure if the news is coming in that it is a six hour wait we'd be better off taking a bit of a detour and just sitting it out somewhere with shelter, food, plenty of cold beers and toilets until things sort themselves out.  Preference being with some sort of shuttle bus or other ability to get to site easy enough.  I know there is a pub in Pilton but I'm pretty sure it has been closed the last few years during the festival.  Shepton Mallet seems like the obvious choice but it has been ten years since I went through there during festival time so I haven't a clue what it is like during the festival.  Thoughts?

[srb]

Mates went to watch the Ireland v France game last year in a pub they reckoned was a 10 min walk from the coach drop-off point

[snipe]

Sounds like the Crown Inn in Pilton.  Found the opening hours online here and I was wrong it was closed all festival but seems to be only opening at 6pm on the Wednesday.  Managed to get a pint in there on the Monday in 2005 but got stung trying to do the same in 2007 and sure enough seems to be shut all day Monday.

[deebeedoobee]

5 hours ago, snipe said:

Sounds like the Crown Inn in Pilton.  Found the opening hours online here and I was wrong it was closed all festival but seems to be only opening at 6pm on the Wednesday.  Managed to get a pint in there on the Monday in 2005 but got stung trying to do the same in 2007 and sure enough seems to be shut all day Monday.

The Crown will be open throughout the festival week - normal hours + a bit.

[Aragorn]

Where's this 6 hour wait come from? 

[Bathimp]

If the queues are that bad you could also try the Apple Tree Inn between orange and pink car parks to the West on the A367(?). Close to Gate D. No need to walk up the hill into Pilton

[russycarps]

1 hour ago, Aragorn said:

Where's this 6 hour wait come from? 

Yeah, everyone knows it's 13 hours

[deebeedoobee]

46 minutes ago, Bathimp said:

If the queues are that bad you could also try the Apple Tree Inn between orange and pink car parks to the West on the A367(?). Close to Gate D. No need to walk up the hill into Pilton

People already parked just near the Apple Tree at 7am when I drove past to work!!

[snipe]

2 hours ago, Aragorn said:

Where's this 6 hour wait come from? 

2009 had some horrific traffic which started off with 4 hours getting from Bristol and when we got there we were left to burn in the Bath and West Showgrounds drop off point for 6 hours as the promised coaches allegedly couldn't get between the sites. That was a year alot more people arrived early because of good weather. I'm worried about something similar or if queues get bad on site they may delay the shuttle coaches to handle numbers.

They don't allow taxis drop off on the road or closer to the festival but we could be dropped off at a pub if it looks like it is going that way again. Basically if we arrive at the drop of point and I see thousands of people waiting for buses in the field I'll be getting the taxi to bring us somewhere else.

41 minutes ago, Bathimp said:

If the queues are that bad you could also try the Apple Tree Inn between orange and pink car parks to the West on the A367(?). Close to Gate D. No need to walk up the hill into Pilton

This sounds perfect. Thanks!