Is there a park and ride from Lewes for the home matches?

[Superseagull]

There is a pretty decent size industrial estate on South Downs Road in Lewes. I reckon there is space there for a up to a couple of hundred cars if an agreement could be reached, but I guess some businesses there trade on Saturdays which would rule this out?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

There is a pretty decent size industrial estate on South Downs Road in Lewes. I reckon there is space there for a up to a couple of hundred cars if an agreement could be reached, but I guess some businesses there trade on Saturdays which would rule this out?

Sackville House, for example? I used to work there.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Bit late to this discussion but I did have an e-mail exchange and subsequent chat with Richard Hebberd about P&R in Lewes several months ago. The P&R sites can't be too far away from the stadium as, if the round trip time to send a bus there and back is too long, it isn't practical due to costs of providing additional buses. County Hall would be the only viable option from a time perspecitve but there isn't enough space in the car parks or in the roads nearby to turn a bus around and the 'drive around' routes would take too long. Also, as the car parks are part of the Lewes Parking Scheme, people would have to pay for parking which the club wanted to avoid for P&R as it adds further costs to fans.

Of course, there is nothing to stop fans using County Hall as an unofficial P&R location and getting on the scheduled 28/29 B&H bus services.

 

[See-Goals]

The advice that the Railway people gave yesterday was for anybody travelling beyond Lewes after the game to catch the first train to Lewes and change there. This seemed to work very well. Yesterday the post-match train service from Falmer to Eastbourne was one train an hour. From Lewes to Eastbourne, there were four trains an hour. From my own observations, there was plenty of room on the Lewes to Newhaven & Seaford trains, once Falmer to Lewes passengers had got off.

100% spot on. The only trains leaving Brighton to Falmer go via Lewes to Seaford (more often than not the ridiculous ex overground stock) or the 2 diesel carriages that run to Ashford. trains might be a bit cramped to Lewes but then the trains will empty of lewes residents and people connecting to Eastbourne and beyond.

It might even be quicker for Haywards Heath / Wivelsfield residents to head to Lewes and then double back through Plumpton / Cooksbridge than try their luck getting back to Brighton station.

Why people east of Falmer would want a park and ride facility where there are good train links is beyond me. Saying that though I work in Croydon so my annual season ticket should cover me for home games at no extra expense as I believe my ticket is valid via Brighton and therefore Falmer (I hope).

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Why people east of Falmer would want a park and ride facility where there are good train links is beyond me.

Good train links if you live along the coast but anywhere inland and public transport disappears.

 

[Monkey Man]

Why people east of Falmer would want a park and ride facility where there are good train links is beyond me.

Perhaps some of us are looking for alternatives to being part of a fairly big crowd gradually drip-fed on to the platform at Falmer, especially those of us with kids, especially at night games. No problem getting TO Falmer by train. Getting OUT again is where the hassle factor becomes an issue. Saturday wasn't too bad but with capacity crowds I don't think those platforms will be much fun.

 

[beorhthelm]

... I work in Croydon so my annual season ticket should cover me for home games at no extra expense as I believe my ticket is valid via Brighton and therefore Falmer (I hope).

it is, checked on this for general polegate-brighton trips

 

[DT Withdean]

Simple question would appreciate a simple answer.

Many thanks

TNBA

TTF

Outside Norman Baker's house in the Ouse Valley.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Same issue for people coming down from Crowborough/T Wells area as for those coming from Eastbourne/Seaford etc. We'll have to drive past the Amex to park at Mithras (which could be rammed) or Mill Rise (miles past) then come back on the P&R.

In the early days there was chat about a P&R in/near Lewes. I'd kind of pinned my hopes on it. Might have to park in Lewes and try the train - but as Lord B says, getting back on the train after a game will be grim. We'll work it out - but a P&R in Lewes as originally discussed would treally help. Might look into this Tertiary college thing - or car share from T Wells might have to be the answer.

I parked at Mithras House on Saturday. The journey down was fine - no traffic jam past Falmer. The problem came on the bus - fine up to Coldean Lane, but then we hit traffic, and inched up the slip road. That was with 7,100 fans. When there are 22,000 it will not be nearly as easy. Presumably the Mill Road buses come via the bypass, and then also go up the slip road, so they won't be any better than Mithras House. This Kingston idea is beginning to look attractive. Does anyone know how much he plans to charge?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Outside Norman Baker's house in the Ouse Valley.

His house in the Ouse Valley was demolished when the A27 flyover over the railway at Beddingham was built. He moved to Lewes High Street - probably not the best place for long-term parking, since it's opposite the Parking Office. Convenient for paying the fines, though.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I parked at Mithras House on Saturday. The journey down was fine - no traffic jam past Falmer. The problem came on the bus - fine up to Coldean Lane, but then we hit traffic, and inched up the slip road. That was with 7,100 fans. When there are 22,000 it will not be nearly as easy. Presumably the Mill Road buses come via the bypass, and then also go up the slip road, so they won't be any better than Mithras House.

If the P&R buses dropped passengers off at the bus stop at the bottom of the slip road, this would enable people to use the underpass at the Sussex University entrance and get to the stadium much quicker. The buses would also be able to return to Mithras House / Mill Road much more quickly, by doing a U-turn over the flyover, without having to struggle into and out of the stadium coach park.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

The only trains leaving Brighton to Falmer go via Lewes to Seaford (more often than not the ridiculous ex overground stock) or the 2 diesel carriages that run to Ashford. trains might be a bit cramped to Lewes but then the trains will empty of lewes residents and people connecting to Eastbourne and beyond

There's also the stopping service to Hastings that calls at Falmer isn't there?

When I returned back to Bexhill last Saturday, they switched the two car Ashford diesel thing to an 8 carriage electric train from Brighton which made an unscheduled stop at Falmer. I guess this will be a regular occurrence when games are on at Falmer? When it arrived at Eastbourne, anyone continuing towards Hastings simply switched to a two carriage diesel that was waiting.

 

[virtual22]

I parked at Mithras House on Saturday. The journey down was fine - no traffic jam past Falmer. The problem came on the bus - fine up to Coldean Lane, but then we hit traffic, and inched up the slip road. That was with 7,100 fans. When there are 22,000 it will not be nearly as easy. Presumably the Mill Road buses come via the bypass, and then also go up the slip road, so they won't be any better than Mithras House. This Kingston idea is beginning to look attractive. Does anyone know how much he plans to charge?

What were the queues like after the game to get on the bus? Just wondering how long it's gonna take to get the bus back to mill road. The way the train times are phased it's looking like that is a non option unless you want to either miss the last five minutes of every game, or are prepared to take over an hour and a half to get home for a 15 minute car journey.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

If the P&R buses dropped passengers off at the bus stop at the bottom of the slip road, this would enable people to use the underpass at the Sussex University entrance and get to the stadium much quicker. The buses would also be able to return to Mithras House / Mill Road much more quickly, by doing a U-turn over the flyover, without having to struggle into and out of the stadium coach park.

And there's still the additional 650 cars to cope with at the interchange and Village Way when the Bennetts Field CP opens. If all this anecdotal stuff from Saturday is true then even getting to the Amex via P&R, assuming you can get in one, is looking grim.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

What were the queues like after the game to get on the bus? Just wondering how long it's gonna take to get the bus back to mill road. The way the train times are phased it's looking like that is a non option unless you want to either miss the last five minutes of every game, or are prepared to take over an hour and a half to get home for a 15 minute car journey.

No trouble at all. There were loads of buses just going back and forwards, and the driver was sitting there bored. I don't know what it was like immediately after the game, as I took a trip up to see what the West Stand Upper was like (I'm in the North Stand), so it was 5.30 before I got there. Of course, we only had 7,100 people there, so what it will like at 5.00 on a Saturday or 9.45 in midweek, I have no idea. The main problem is getting there from the Park and Ride. As Ed says, it would be better if they dropped you on the slip road. I wonder if one is better parking at Mithras House or the Cockcroft Building, and getting a 28 or 29, which do stop on the slip road, and then pick up by Stanmer Court going the other way. Does anyone know what route the racecourse buses take? If they go via the Woodingdean crossroads, I would think that is another traffic jam.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

No trouble at all. There were loads of buses just going back and forwards, and the driver was sitting there bored. I don't know what it was like immediately after the game, as I took a trip up to see what the West Stand Upper was like (I'm in the North Stand), so it was 5.30 before I got there. Of course, we only had 7,100 people there, so what it will like at 5.00 on a Saturday or 9.45 in midweek, I have no idea. The main problem is getting there from the Park and Ride. As Ed says, it would be better if they dropped you on the slip road. I wonder if one is better parking at Mithras House or the Cockcroft Building, and getting a 28 or 29, which do stop on the slip road, and then pick up by Stanmer Court going the other way. Does anyone know what route the racecourse buses take? If they go via the Woodingdean crossroads, I would think that is another traffic jam.

Only from the P&R towards the Amex, return is down the Lewes Road and via Elm Grove.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I wonder if one is better parking at Mithras House or the Cockcroft Building, and getting a 28 or 29, which do stop on the slip road, and then pick up by Stanmer Court going the other way.

A slight word of warning ... the 28s and 29s are limited stop services that don't stop at the Natal Road bus stops - to use them you have to use the next stop along the road (the one called Brighton University / The Avenue). It's no great hassle to do so, but best if you're aware of this before a 28 or 29 goes sailing past, while you're waiting at the wrong stop.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

If the P&R buses dropped passengers off at the bus stop at the bottom of the slip road, this would enable people to use the underpass at the Sussex University entrance and get to the stadium much quicker. The buses would also be able to return to Mithras House / Mill Road much more quickly, by doing a U-turn over the flyover, without having to struggle into and out of the stadium coach park.

The flyover is going to be a nightmare wherever you drop off. Probably better timewise to go up to the Kingston roundabout and come back. It's only 2.5 miles so should take just over 5 mins which'll be a darn sight quicker. Have a recce when you get to the westbound slip road and if it's bad, drop off at Falmer station lay-by. I'm sure it'll use less fuel than sitting stationary for hours on end.

 

[Muzzy]

Thanks. Lansdown and train it is then.

The Lansdown will be very busy when Lewes are also playing at home. The Royal Oak is a bigger pub just 200 yards up the hill as an alternative. My wife used to work there (recently) and said that some Saturdays hardly any Lewes fans were in there! Sometimes does get busier with away fans depending on who Lewes are playing!

I live in Lewes and will be visiting 2 or 3 pubs before going on to Falmer by train or bus, when I can make it to a game that is.

Just a thought but maybe it might be worth a few of us congregating in a suitable boozer in Lewes on matchdays and cab sharing?

Thoughts?....

 

[Notters]

The Lansdown will be very busy when Lewes are also playing at home. The Royal Oak is a bigger pub just 200 yards up the hill as an alternative. My wife used to work there (recently) and said that some Saturdays hardly any Lewes fans were in there! Sometimes does get busier with away fans depending on who Lewes are playing!

I live in Lewes and will be visiting 2 or 3 pubs before going on to Falmer by train or bus, when I can make it to a game that is.

Just a thought but maybe it might be worth a few of us congregating in a suitable boozer in Lewes on matchdays and cab sharing?

Thoughts?....

It's a Greene King pub, that's why no-one goes there.