Camping. Where and why?

[Spindles]

also think campsite atmosphere is more down to who you're with / who your immediate neighbours are, opposed to a particular camp area.

Yeah, that's what it's all about.

You can be camped in a field and have a completely different experience from people 30 feet away, depending on who is around you and how they live while they are there. I've been lucky on the whole with neighbours but have had a couple of ropey experiences.

Friends once had neighbours who basically evicted them about 2 hours after setting up and they moved to the next field, thinking that camping too close could have repercussions later in the week or just ruin their buzz. I think it's a good policy that if your neighbours are dicks don't be afraid to up sticks, I've moved halfway through the festival to join friends before.

[VisionOfLove]

Did Pennards last year and it was great but thinking of moving slightly and trying Park Home this year, just for general easier access to things and to be a bit more central. Only thing putting me off is reading a few horror stories about thefts and general dickheads passing through, probably due to close proximity of railway track plus Arcadia traffic. Can anyone shed a bit more light on this?

[Chimps in Balaclavas]

im thinking row mead this year, guessing it fills up fast as its so close to pyramid etc.....any idea when youd need to arrive to get a decent spot? I will be there earlyish on the wensday...good enough?

As early as possible I'd say it's near enough full around early afternoon, although depending on how big your tent is, you do find little pockets of space. Not been camped there the past few years though since Row Mead has been moved back, but I imagine it's roughly the same. Great spec though.

[Northernsoul45]

_{if I were camping this year I would camp again in Baileys, camped there in 2013, and had no isues what so ever, we were close to the perimeter fence (indeed saw a couple people clamber over!), had decent amount of space, and field was relatively quiet, yes its a bit of a walk from SE corner etc, but it can prove a nice chill out walk and by time I'd walked it back in the early morning, I was ready for bed anyhow, actually surprised how much sleep I managed (4/5 hrs each night!, incredible considering at other festivals...rockness for example, id maybe managed that amount over the 3 days!:-)}

_{doing camper van for the first time ever at a festival (camper van east) this year...will see how that goes, if I can ever face going back to camping again after that!}

Edited April 22, 2015 by Northernsoul45

[Ex_ollie]

_{if I were camping this year I would camp again in Baileys, camped there in 2013, and had no isues what so ever, we were close to the perimeter fence (indeed saw a couple people clamber over!),}

Any Twix in the vicinity?

[MrPink]

Any Twix in the vicinity?

Yep, certainly in the home straight in the countdown to Glasto time. That badboy rearing it's head again.

[LEDZEP66]

Big ground again for me.

Flushing toilets close by and the police HQ there. Don't know if being close to the police will make it less likely for tent theives but hoping so. If you want to go back to your tent for an hour to relax you can sit out your tent and watch the pyramid stage, did this for Dolly last year.

Last year 2 tents next to us spent alot of the days at their tent watching the pyramid stage, the sound was ok there.

[MrPink]

Big ground again for me.

Flushing toilets close by and the police HQ there. Don't know if being close to the police will make it less likely for tent theives but hoping so. If you want to go back to your tent for an hour to relax you can sit out your tent and watch the pyramid stage, did this for Dolly last year.

Last year 2 tents next to us spent alot of the days at their tent watching the pyramid stage, the sound was ok there.

Looking at it for this year, how quickly did it fill up? Is it usually rammed to the point of having other tents leaning on yours/ not enough space for people to wind their way through. A mate of mine had a tent right up against his one year, in the rain, caused a drip through into his tent, not ideal!

[LEDZEP66]

Looking at it for this year, how quickly did it fill up? Is it usually rammed to the point of having other tents leaning on yours/ not enough space for people to wind their way through. A mate of mine had a tent right up against his one year, in the rain, caused a drip through into his tent, not ideal!

It does fill up fairly quick but it is a very big field. I was in at 9 and set up had a wonder around and came back about midday and people were still pitching up. Tents do get close to you but i've found that it any field. I use to camp in Lime Kild which is one of the quietest but woke up one morning to find a tent up against the door

Edited April 22, 2015 by LEDZEP66

[MrPink]

It does fill up fairly quick but it is a very big field. I was in at 9 and set up had a wonder around and came back about midday and people were still pitching up.

Great, thanks.

[Chimps in Balaclavas]

it looks on the map anyway like the best view of the pyramid out of all the sites? true or?

Yeah, when Row Mead was right on the path, alls you needed to do was stand up and you could see the Pyramid. And if you go further back, you get a better view. We had neighbours who hardly moved from outside their tent because they had the perfect view of the action.

[verrymerry]

Any Twix in the vicinity?

I think it says it all when you understand this reference

[LEDZEP66]

It does have a great view, step out of your tent and your looking at the pyramid. I tend to pitch 1 tent in from the path so you don't get much in front of you to block the view and being 1 tent in it is easy to find your tent and you don't have 50 guy ropes to climb over. The tent infront is also a bit of a blocker from either dust or mud depending on the weather

[p.pete]

The problem with Big Ground is getting in through Gate B - which seems to take forever. I've come through there in '05, '10 and and '14, and it's been slow every time. It seemed slightly better organised last year, and it's not because you have to cross a 'busier' road en-route (soon as you cross the road your back caught up with the queue. Perk then is that trips back to the car are very short.

Anyone ever parked near B and then trekked all the way round to C? I reckon you'd get in quicker but can't convince anyone else of the sense in it.

Aside from flushing toilets and pyramid view I like the routes via acoustic that drop you into Bella's field, easy access to Avolon/wst holts from there.

[LEDZEP66]

The problem with Big Ground is getting in through Gate B - which seems to take forever. I've come through there in '05, '10 and and '14, and it's been slow every time. It seemed slightly better organised last year, and it's not because you have to cross a 'busier' road en-route (soon as you cross the road your back caught up with the queue. Perk then is that trips back to the car are very short.

Anyone ever parked near B and then trekked all the way round to C? I reckon you'd get in quicker but can't convince anyone else of the sense in it.

Aside from flushing toilets and pyramid view I like the routes via acoustic that drop you into Bella's field, easy access to Avolon/wst holts from there.

Is gate C the one at the bottom of the hill of death? If so I got sent there last year by some stewards after parking in purple car park and it was a bit of a trek but the queue there was tiny, this was Tuesday night about 9.30. We wanted to come in gate B so got sent down a road that runs next to the fence up to gete B and that seemed to go forever and like you said its a long walk to get in via gate B. We are going to try going in C this year. The walk seems a bit further once your in but it must be shorter overall.

[kingjamma]

Row Mead is one of my favourites. Toilets/water point, lock up and the free to use cash machines are all very close by, with the flushing toilets a short walk from there. The view is pretty awesome as well. The main downside is that it fills very fast, especially when they made it smaller, definitely recommend getting there before midday.

Thinking of South Park 1 or 2 this year as I fancy somewhere a bit out of the way, but nearer to the night time stuff.

[gaz2theb]

Ive been in pennards the last three years (my only three years), i am thinking of mixing it up this year but cannot decide where to go ahhh!! would like somewhere lively.

[Northernsoul45]

Any Twix in the vicinity?

took me awhile, but got the reference! :-)

the guys that did manage over, were loudly cheered, indeed im sure some randoms allowed one of them to hide out in their tent until the 'heat' died down.

[Avalon_Fields]

The problem with Big Ground is getting in through Gate B - which seems to take forever. I've come through there in '05, '10 and and '14, and it's been slow every time. It seemed slightly better organised last year, and it's not because you have to cross a 'busier' road en-route (soon as you cross the road your back caught up with the queue. Perk then is that trips back to the car are very short.

Anyone ever parked near B and then trekked all the way round to C? I reckon you'd get in quicker but can't convince anyone else of the sense in it.

Aside from flushing toilets and pyramid view I like the routes via acoustic that drop you into Bella's field, easy access to Avolon/wst holts from there.

Last two times, I've gone thru' Gate C, no more than 45 mins, been up at Big Ground before or on 8am Wednesday, Gate B was much slower the previous time.

[verrymerry]

Is gate C the one at the bottom of the hill of death?

It sure is!

[01macka]

Our coach won't be arriving until 7pm on the Wednesday. Do you think there will be room in Oxlyers for 1 six man tent at this time? Thanks for any help.

[ThePope]

Pennards is usually full by 1/2pm on the Wednesday. Luckily we had some friends in campervans who were on site at 7am and managed to put our tent up.

Pennards is a great location, close to the railway line giving good access to Dance area, Other Stage and Shangri-La/Block 9. its also surprisingly quiet.

Think we are getting on site about 1/2pm weds so going to go for something over near Pyramid, just to change it up.

I was in Oxylers my first year and it was close to the generators and perimeter lights which was not fun at all.......

[yellowsnow]

We're getting there between 12-3pm on the Wednesday at Gate A. Good spots to head for? Not really fussed where as long as its in the NW corner so not too much trekking!

[Rlm86]

Last two times, I've gone thru' Gate C, no more than 45 mins, been up at Big Ground before or on 8am Wednesday, Gate B was much slower the previous time.

Hi Dangerous.

what time did you get to gate C? Did you arrive on Tuesday and camp in the queue? Im looking to Big Ground or row mead If I can convince its worth getting up really early. Only coming from Swindon so about 2 hours away.

[timmyno7]

Getting a bus from Bristol at 9:30am on Wednesday - would it be feasible to get into Pennards?

My other choices (and am grateful for any feedback as to if you think it's possible) are:

Dairy Ground

Bushy Ground

Lower Mead

Woodsies

Hawkwell

Also is Paines for punters or is that reserved?