2024 Traffic Directions etc

[parsonjack]

Got questions about which route to take? 

Want to get to West parking but coming from the East? 

Want to know when to arrive to meet least traffic?

 

This is the thread to ask, answer and share journey tips etc.

 

I'll start by posting link to the Traffic Management Plan for 2024 festival giving details of road closures etc.

 

https://somersetcc.sharepoint.com/sites/SCCPublic/Roads/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FSCCPublic%2FRoads%2FSomerset Council%2C Various Roads - Glastonbury Festival temp TRO.pdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FSCCPublic%2FRoads&p=true&ga=1

 

I'll give it a good looking over and report back any changes but a swift view looks like nothing significant has changed from 2023.

Edited April 29 by parsonjack

[4AssedMonkey]

Good timing this! We’ve booked into Holt Farm. Their car park doesn’t open until midday Weds and we’re told the gate won’t be open early. It’s a while since we came in the west side, probably 2016 last time? The main road in from the M5 through Street & Glastonbury town was always crawling if we tried to drive down to arrive mid-morning on the Weds. Took us 7 hours to get on site from the motorway in 2009. Any thoughts or tips to avoid this?

[Kaboom Boxer]

3 hours ago, parsonjack said:

Got questions about which route to take? 

Want to get to West parking but coming from the East? 

Want to know when to arrive to meet least traffic?

 

This is the thread to ask, answer and share journey tips etc.

 

I'll start by posting link to the Traffic Management Plan for 2024 festival giving details of road closures etc.

 

https://somersetcc.sharepoint.com/sites/SCCPublic/Roads/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FSCCPublic%2FRoads%2FSomerset Council%2C Various Roads - Glastonbury Festival temp TRO.pdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FSCCPublic%2FRoads&p=true&ga=1

 

I'll give it a good looking over and report back any changes but a swift view looks like nothing significant has changed from 2023.

Great idea for a thread. 

 

I’ll be trying to make my way to the Tangerine Fields car park on Wednesday morning driving from Coxley. 

 

Google Maps throws up three options:

 

 

 

Are they all much of a muchness or is there a particularly busy stretch I’m best avoiding?

Edited April 29 by Kaboom Boxer

[al_coholic]

2 hours ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

Good timing this! We’ve booked into Holt Farm. Their car park doesn’t open until midday Weds and we’re told the gate won’t be open early. It’s a while since we came in the west side, probably 2016 last time? The main road in from the M5 through Street & Glastonbury town was always crawling if we tried to drive down to arrive mid-morning on the Weds. Took us 7 hours to get on site from the motorway in 2009. Any thoughts or tips to avoid this?

The Tuesday night arrivals have mostly cleared that problem. In 2022 I drove straight in at 12:30pm on the wednesday. 2016 was the year that the weather pre-festival was horrific they were having a nightmare with the car parks and the west campervan fields. 

[4AssedMonkey]

2 minutes ago, al_coholic said:

The Tuesday night arrivals have mostly cleared that problem. In 2022 I drove straight in at 12:30pm on the wednesday. 2016 was the year that the weather pre-festival was horrific they were having a nightmare with the car parks and the west campervan fields. 

Yeah. I overnighted at a B&B 30 mins from the site in 2016. Took us 5 hours. 

[4AssedMonkey]

39 minutes ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

Great idea for a thread. 

 

I’ll be trying to make my way to the Tangerine Fields car park on Wednesday morning driving from Coxley. 

 

Google Maps throws up three options:

 

 

 

Are they all much of a muchness or is there a particularly busy stretch I’m best avoiding?

For my money, number 2 wins. 1&3 are main roads. Having driven both previously they’ll be busy. Can’t speak for 2, but looks like it might be quieter.

[al_coholic]

I would go option 1 as it avoids Pilton village, but you need advice from @parsonjack as to what is and what isn't possible. 

[Kaboom Boxer]

47 minutes ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

For my money, number 2 wins. 1&3 are main roads. Having driven both previously they’ll be busy. Can’t speak for 2, but looks like it might be quieter.

 

Your 30 minutes in 5 hours post above is scary. Have the roads got any quieter since 2016 or should I prepare for a similar timeframe. 
 

 

44 minutes ago, al_coholic said:

I would go option 1 as it avoids Pilton village, but you need advice from @parsonjack as to what is and what isn't possible. 

Thanks, I’ll see what @parsonjack thinks. 

[Leyrulion]

5 hours ago, parsonjack said:

Got questions about which route to take? 

Want to get to West parking but coming from the East? 

Want to know when to arrive to meet least traffic?

 

This is the thread to ask, answer and share journey tips etc.

 

I'll start by posting link to the Traffic Management Plan for 2024 festival giving details of road closures etc.

 

https://somersetcc.sharepoint.com/sites/SCCPublic/Roads/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FSCCPublic%2FRoads%2FSomerset Council%2C Various Roads - Glastonbury Festival temp TRO.pdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FSCCPublic%2FRoads&p=true&ga=1

 

I'll give it a good looking over and report back any changes but a swift view looks like nothing significant has changed from 2023.

Am I the only one that just gets somerset county councils SharePoint login?

[4AssedMonkey]

15 minutes ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

 

Your 30 minutes in 5 hours post above is scary. Have the roads got any quieter since 2016 or should I prepare for a similar timeframe. 
 

 

Thanks, I’ll see what @parsonjack thinks. 

2016 was a nightmare. The ground was SO boggy that year, that campervans arriving on Tuesday got stuck and needed towing by tractors. The car parks were also carnage. It was time taken getting into those areas that was the problem due to ground conditions. In 2009 the motorways were closed near Bristol because of accidents and that was a f**ker also. But these are outliers.

[BeddyDriver]

13 hours ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

Great idea for a thread. 

 

I’ll be trying to make my way to the Tangerine Fields car park on Wednesday morning driving from Coxley. 

 

Google Maps throws up three options:

 

 

 

Are they all much of a muchness or is there a particularly busy stretch I’m best avoiding?

Are you heading to the Tangerine Fields  Burrow or Base Camp ??

 

Number 2 doesn't look an option either way if I'm reading your map right, and thats Lower Westholme road youre using !

 

These are a couple of the regular road closures around there for the festival !

 

• Lower Westholme Road Southbound between Northtown Road and Watery Lane.
• Lower Westholme Road both ways between A361 and Tanyard Lane.

Edited April 30 by BeddyDriver

[Ayrshire Chris]

13 hours ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

Great idea for a thread. 

 

I’ll be trying to make my way to the Tangerine Fields car park on Wednesday morning driving from Coxley. 

 

Google Maps throws up three options:

 

 

 

Are they all much of a muchness or is there a particularly busy stretch I’m best avoiding?

option 2 is blocked if I recollect, unless heading for the glamping or hotel at or near crossways. The junction at the A361 is closed. Somerset council festival traffic management info details all the closures, one ways etc. loads of the small roads have restrictions. Check the council  link . Best contacting where you are staying for best route . 

Edited April 30 by Ayrshire Chris

[vinylvictim]

11 hours ago, Leyrulion said:

Am I the only one that just gets somerset county councils SharePoint login?

I got it too, there's an accessible link from this page, part way down for the festival TRO

https://www.somerset.gov.uk/roads-travel-and-parking/traffic-regulation-orders/

[broken monkey]

We usually travel from Kent via the M25 and M4, past Bath and Wells and then near Glastonbury town. Usually parked up in Pink car parks by 11am Weds and on site by 12/1pm.

 

This year might be different as my parents are moving to Sussex and taking our daughter for the week.

 

What is the traffic like on the A303/A36 early Weds morning? Is it possible to still head to Wells, bypassing Frome to make the Pink/Orange car parks?

[balti-pie]

28 minutes ago, broken monkey said:

We usually travel from Kent via the M25 and M4, past Bath and Wells and then near Glastonbury town. Usually parked up in Pink car parks by 11am Weds and on site by 12/1pm.

 

This year might be different as my parents are moving to Sussex and taking our daughter for the week.

 

What is the traffic like on the A303/A36 early Weds morning? Is it possible to still head to Wells, bypassing Frome to make the Pink/Orange car parks?

 

i drive from sussex every year, and always go along the A/M27 and up the a36 through Salisbury, coming onto the a303 after Stonehenge (avoiding the rubberneckers) and then up the a37 at podimore. This is always a decent route for traffic cos you're coming from the south unlike most, though i havnt travelled in the wednesday traffic since 2019 (i volunteer these days and monday traffic is an absolute breeze). 

The A37 feeds into the purple/blue car parks, but you can chuck a left at the traffic lights by the Cross Keys Inn and then you can sneak up to Orange and Pink that way - thats probs the easiest way 

[al_coholic]

16 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

 

i drive from sussex every year, and always go along the A/M27 and up the a36 through Salisbury, coming onto the a303 after Stonehenge (avoiding the rubberneckers) and then up the a37 at podimore. This is always a decent route for traffic cos you're coming from the south unlike most, though i havnt travelled in the wednesday traffic since 2019 (i volunteer these days and monday traffic is an absolute breeze). 

The A37 feeds into the purple/blue car parks, but you can chuck a left at the traffic lights by the Cross Keys Inn and then you can sneak up to Orange and Pink that way - thats probs the easiest way 

Totally agree that your option is quicker than trying to go over the top and bypass Frome. Just have to wind your way round the lanes once you have turned off the A37 but far less traffic

[Long Drop]

17 hours ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

Good timing this! We’ve booked into Holt Farm. Their car park doesn’t open until midday Weds and we’re told the gate won’t be open early. It’s a while since we came in the west side, probably 2016 last time? The main road in from the M5 through Street & Glastonbury town was always crawling if we tried to drive down to arrive mid-morning on the Weds. Took us 7 hours to get on site from the motorway in 2009. Any thoughts or tips to avoid this?

I'm in holt farm too and was hoping that they would be open before 12.

As sticklinch is open at 8am the festival won't want that lane getting clogged up with people waiting for holt farm to open.
My hope is that they are saying 12 so people wont arrive too early.

My plan is to arrive at Wells tesco for a last minute shop, wait for any holt farm opening info and then head towards Shepton mallet and join B3136. There are lanes that join the A361 near pilton but I have a feeling they will only be open for residents.

Probably good to have a holt farm arrival thread for the weds morning as it looks like there are a few of us there.

[andymk]

1 hour ago, Long Drop said:

I'm in holt farm too and was hoping that they would be open before 12.

As sticklinch is open at 8am the festival won't want that lane getting clogged up with people waiting for holt farm to open.
My hope is that they are saying 12 so people wont arrive too early.

My plan is to arrive at Wells tesco for a last minute shop, wait for any holt farm opening info and then head towards Shepton mallet and join B3136. There are lanes that join the A361 near pilton but I have a feeling they will only be open for residents.

Probably good to have a holt farm arrival thread for the weds morning as it looks like there are a few of us there.

Several of the off-site camping places state they are Wednesday midday opening, I know Lovefields is. I think it's to keep the traffic back so the general camping people are more or less in. No idea if they let you earlier than midday, people I know that have stayed in them haven't tried.

[Kaboom Boxer]

4 hours ago, BeddyDriver said:

Are you heading to the Tangerine Fields  Burrow or Base Camp ??

 

Number 2 doesn't look an option either way if I'm reading your map right, and thats Lower Westholme road youre using !

 

These are a couple of the regular road closures around there for the festival !

 

• Lower Westholme Road Southbound between Northtown Road and Watery Lane.
• Lower Westholme Road both ways between A361 and Tanyard Lane.

 

We'll be staying at Base Camp, I've amended my routes to end on Pylle Road so that it's a little more accurate and my three options are now as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does this still rule out Option 2?

 

[EavisAintDead]

1 hour ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

 

We'll be staying at Base Camp, I've amended my routes to end on Pylle Road so that it's a little more accurate and my three options are now as follows:

 

 

Does this still rule out Option 2?

 

I think you'll find you're at the mercy of closed roads on the day and you'll just have to follow the flow of traffic until the turn off for tangerine fields

 

Definitely head towards Wells first though (option 1) otherwise you'll be on the wrong side of the festival 

[bexj]

21 hours ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

Great idea for a thread. 

 

I’ll be trying to make my way to the Tangerine Fields car park on Wednesday morning driving from Coxley. 

 

Google Maps throws up three options:

 

 

 

Are they all much of a muchness or is there a particularly busy stretch I’m best avoiding?

We used to use route 2. its very narrow, high hedge lanes, with grass growing up the middle... and they started shutting it for the festival about 4 or 5 years ago.  

We use route 3 now, for West Car Parks and usually the traffic is slow but moving steadily.

[MJP]

Yeah @Kaboom Boxer You keep being routed through roads that will long be closed.

 

You'll get a certain type of pass to get through the blue route which is only accessible from A37. From where you're starting, you need to get to Whitestone Corner Roundabout.

 

You'll need to check when the detailed road closures are actually loaded onto One.Network (which populates Google) but expect to go across through Shepton Mallet to get to the A37 southbound. 🙂

[Ayrshire Chris]

The lanes off the main roads are subjected to either closure, one way or pass only that allows access to glamping sites  or for instance the Greenacres campsite. Even if you managed to get down a lane the exit onto the main road will be closed. 

[Kaboom Boxer]

Would I be better off switching my Tuesday night lodging to the other side of the festival? Say Bruton or Wanstrow?

[MJP]

1 hour ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

Would I be better off switching my Tuesday night lodging to the other side of the festival? Say Bruton or Wanstrow?

 

Yeah, switch your lodging so it's along the A37 somewhere. If you go south of Glastonbury, you'll have an easier time turning left into the site.