Trivia; huge sporting or cultural events a long way from nearest station?

[Howardh]

Watching the Grand Prix on Sunday, it was noted there were 140k spectators, and the nearest rail station fo them was Wolverton, 10 miles away, so a major station much further. Thoughts, are there any such events which have a station even further away?

 

[DarloRich]

Glastonbury?

Watching the Grand Prix on Sunday, it was noted there were 140k spectators, and the nearest rail station fo them was Wolverton, 10 miles away, so a major station much further. Thoughts, are there any such events which have a station even further away?

There are shuttle buses from MKC to Silverstone on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of race weekend. There were quite a few people coming through the station taking advantage although in these environmentally sensitive times I think more could be made of this service.

 

[Magdalia]

Glastonbury?

Hay on Wye literary festival?

Most recently in 2009 the Welsh Eisteddfod at Bala?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Not in a position to check the exact distance right now, but the Green Man music festival site at Glanusk Park is a similar distance from the nearest station in Abergavenny.

Honourable mention to Forest Green Washers Rovers, who won't sell you a meat pie but will set up shop somewhere only accessible by car.

 

[DarloRich]

Honourable mention to Forest Green Washers Rovers, who won't sell you a meat pie but will set up shop somewhere only accessible by car.

that's odd - I have been there by train and bus.....................

( didnt have a meat pie though.)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

'Up Helly Aa' (the annual fire festival(s), the largest of which is/are on Lerwick, Shetland) must be a fair way from the nearest railway station. (= Thurso?)

 

[Howardh]

I read the nearest station to Glastonbury is c.6 miles and they do have shuttle busses. Is there still a festival on the Isle of Wight, which if central would be some distance from the railway?

'Up Helly Aa' (the annual fire festival(s), the largest of which is/are on Lerwick, Shetland) must be a fair way from the nearest railway station.

Ha! How many attend though?!!

 

[DarloRich]

'Up Helly Aa' (the annual fire festival(s), the largest of which is/are on Lerwick, Shetland) must be a fair way from the nearest railway station.

that's a winner! ( and on our list to attend)

 

[61653 HTAFC]

that's odd - I have been there by train and bus.....................

Okay... only easily accessible by private car. I personally wouldn't trust buses in an unfamiliar area to actually operate as advertised. Once bitten and all that.

 

[DarloRich]

Okay... only easily accessible by private car. I personally wouldn't trust buses in an unfamiliar area to actually operate as advertised. Once bitten and all that.

it worked really well tbh! I was a bit twitchy about it but no issues. I made sure I had a cab number on standby though. Thier new ground will be even easier to access by car: Junction 13 on the M5! ( although it might be closer to a railway station than the current one)

BTW - we lost. Drew Broughton got sent off for chinning someone in front of the away fans. Biggest cheer of the day!

 

[AM9]

Latitude in Henham Park Suffolk is 25 miles from Diss station - the recommended station. Halesworth station is about 5 miles but would be swamped by the volume of bodies.

 

[paulb1973]

I'm off to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford over several days in July - driving there admittedly. I assume Swindon (or Kemble?!) is the nearest station.

 

[W-on-Sea]

Forest Green Rovers have been in Forest Green since the late 19th century (at three different locations over the years, but all close to each other), I don't think it's fair to blame their current ownership for the nearby (if steeply downhill) railway station at Nailsworth having closed to passengers back when they were still only playing in the county and local leagues!

(The bus journey to Stroud is simple and pre-COVID was reliable, but as the stadium only has capacity for a bit over 5,000 and is rather less than 10 miles from Stroud station, not sure it really meets the stated criteria for inclusion here anyway....)

 

[Magdalia]

I'm off to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford over several days in July - driving there admittedly. I assume Swindon (or Kemble?!) is the nearest station.

That reminds me of the old Mildenhall Air Shows of the 1980s, when Shippea Hill saw more passengers in a day than it now sees in a decade.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Not in a position to check the exact distance right now, but the Green Man music festival site at Glanusk Park is a similar distance from the nearest station in Abergavenny.

Honourable mention to Forest Green Washers Rovers, who won't sell you a meat pie but will set up shop somewhere only accessible by car.

I know it's not exactly the site of big sporting events but if you think Forest Green Rovers' ground is difficult to get to by train you should try getting to Peterhead's!

 

[S&CLER]

'Up Helly Aa' (the annual fire festival(s), the largest of which is/are on Lerwick, Shetland) must be a fair way from the nearest railway station. (= Thurso?)

I thought they claimed it was Bergen in Norway.

 

[paulb1973]

That reminds me of the old Mildenhall Air Shows of the 1980s, when Shippea Hill saw more passengers in a day than it now sees in a decade.

I did the Air Fete many times but only once by rail; staying with relatives in London - walk to Wanstead tube, Underground from there to Kings Cross/St Pancras, train to from KX to Ely, then a connecting bus to RAF Mildenhall itself. And the reverse of the above to get back. It was a long, hot and exhausting day! I suppose one current airshow venue can easily be accessed by rail, RAF Cosford, Shropshire. There is a station virtually on the airfield boundary.

 

[Howardh]

I did the Air Fete many times but only once by rail; staying with relatives in London - walk to Wanstead tube, Underground from there to Kings Cross/St Pancras, train to from KX to Ely, then a connecting bus to RAF Mildenhall itself. And the reverse of the above to get back. It was a long, hot and exhausting day! I suppose one current airshow venue can easily be accessed by rail, RAF Cosford, Shropshire. There is a station virtually on the airfield boundary.

They should have a major display at Teeside Airport where there's a really handy stat.....oh...

How are the other racing circuits covered by train? Oulton Park, Goodwood, Brands Hatch? I imagine each one has several large events throughout the year attracting thousands?

 

[Taunton]

Glyndebourne ?

For older members here, Isle of Wight Rock Festival, 1970. Bigger than Woodstock, 700,000 attended - on an island. There was an enormous lift done through Portsmouth Harbour.

Isle of Wight Festival 1970 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Michael Eavis, founder and current promoter of Glastonbury, was there, and inspired.

 

[zwk500]

Glyndebourne ?

Glyndebourne (c.1,200 capacity per night) is less than 5 miles from Lewes station (2tph to London, up to 5tph to Brighton), and indeed a significant portion of the audience used to arrive on the train, a connecting coach service being laid on by Glyndebourne. There may be a supplement, can't remember now.

 

[Ediswan]

That reminds me of the old Mildenhall Air Shows of the 1980s, when Shippea Hill saw more passengers in a day than it now sees in a decade.

I was on a train from Leicester to Norwich, reversing at Ely. It did take a while to work out why the train became rammed full at Ely, then fairly promptly emptied out again in what appeared to be the middle of a field.

 

[341o2]

Glastonbury?


There are shuttle buses from MKC to Silverstone on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of race weekend. There were quite a few people coming through the station taking advantage although in these environmentally sensitive times I think more could be made of this service.

Someone was interviewed on BBC regarding the rail strike causing her problems getting to Glastonbury, actually, Castle Cary is around six miles away, and shuttle buses run between the station and the festival site.

There is The Wyldes, another music festival venue near Bude, nearest station Okehampton, some 30 miles away

 

[greyman42]

What if any arrangements do they have for golf tournaments held at The Belfry?

 

[matchmaker]

'Up Helly Aa' (the annual fire festival(s), the largest of which is/are on Lerwick, Shetland) must be a fair way from the nearest railway station. (= Thurso?)

Must be a winner! (The Lerwick one in particular is spectacular)

 

[Howardh]

Must be a winner! (The Lerwick one in particular is spectacular)

If we are having islands then I'm shouting for either Liberation Day or Pride on Jersey. That'll be goodness knows how many miles from Weymouth! Nope, French stations on the mainland don't count; I make the rules...!!

Stonehenge on the longest day, does that attract thousands? That looks several miles from a local station?

 

[Davester50]

The former T in the Park at Balado Airfield by Kinross is 18 miles from Perth, with a shuttle bus to get there.
60-odd thousand attendance.
Gleneagles is closer, (15 miles), but the roads are terrible to get between the two.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If we are having islands then I'm shouting for either Liberation Day or Pride on Jersey. That'll be goodness knows how many miles from Weymouth! Nope, French stations on the mainland don't count; I make the rules...!!

Stonehenge on the longest day, does that attract thousands? That looks several miles from a local station?

Any events in the Falklands?

 

[zwk500]

Stonehenge on the longest day, does that attract thousands? That looks several miles from a local station?

I'm not sure how big it is, but of course being at a very early dawn there aren't many services running for people to use regardless of how close the nearest station is!

One interesting counterpoint is Lewes bonfire night, which regularly attracts crowds several times the towns population. To try and limit people coming from too far out, they now close the station in the early afternoon.

 

[gc4946]

Leeds Festival, August Bank Holiday weekend, actually held at Bramham Park near A1M/A64 junction.
12 miles to Leeds station, about 17 miles to York, 14 miles to Harrogate, shuttle buses only from Leeds station.

 

[Magdalia]

Stonehenge on the longest day, does that attract thousands? That looks several miles from a local station?

About 8 miles from Salisbury.

In ye olden dayes you could have taken your bike on the Yeovil papers and cycled to get there just in time for sunrise.