Ashton Road · Bristol BS3 2EJ · Capacity 27,000
Ashton Gate: two sports, one ground
Bristol City play football at Ashton Gate and Bristol Bears play rugby there. Same stadium, same postcode, same approach roads, and two completely different days out, because a football crowd and a rugby crowd behave nothing alike.
Football and rugby union in the same stadium. It sounds like a detail and it is not: the segregation, the kick-off times, the atmosphere and above all how long people stay afterwards are entirely different between the two.
Football and rugby are different jobs here
Tell us which and we plan accordingly. Getting it wrong means a collection at the wrong time.
Football
Segregated support, prompt exit, and a crowd that leaves within twenty minutes.
Rugby union
Mixed support, bars open long after, and a crowd that stays.
Changes completely
Football: book for shortly after the whistle. Rugby: book considerably later.
Same either way
Ashton Road, south of the river, with residential controls on matchdays.
Kent to Bristol
Round the M25 and west on the M4. Long but straightforward, with Bristol's own traffic at the end.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way | Home by, 15:00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 138 miles | 2h 45m – 3h 25m | 20:30 |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 141 miles | 2h 50m – 3h 30m | 20:35 |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 144 miles | 2h 55m – 3h 35m | 20:40 |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 149 miles | 3h – 3h 40m | 20:45 |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 154 miles | 3h 5m – 3h 45m | 20:50 |
| Rochester & Chatham | 159 miles | 3h 10m – 3h 50m | 20:55 |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 183 miles | 3h 35m – 4h 20m | 21:25 |
South of the river
Ashton Gate sits in Bedminster and Ashton, south of the Avon, which shapes both approaches.
| Feature | Note |
|---|---|
| South of the Avon | The river separates the ground from the city centre. |
| Ashton Road and Winterstoke Road | Main approaches, managed on matchdays. |
| Residential Bedminster | Matchday parking controls across the surrounding streets. |
| Bristol city centre | About two miles, across the water. |
| We collect towards Winterstoke Road | Ten minutes' walk, and the route back to the M5 and M4. |
An Ashton Gate away day
Say football or rugby when you book
It is the difference between a collection twenty minutes after the whistle and one an hour and a half afterwards. Bristol City's crowd disperses promptly the way football crowds do; the Bears' crowd stays in the bars the way rugby crowds do. Same ground, same exits, entirely different timing, and we would rather set it right than have a vehicle sitting there.
The river shapes the exit
Ashton Gate is south of the Avon and the city centre is north of it, which means anyone heading into Bristol afterwards crosses water on a limited number of bridges. We collect towards Winterstoke Road, which points at the M5 and M4 rather than at the city, and gets a Kent-bound group away without joining that queue.
Three hours makes it a day return
At around a hundred and forty-five miles this works comfortably as a single day for an afternoon kick-off, getting you home by half eight. Evening fixtures push it towards one in the morning, at which point staying over in Bristol becomes worth considering, particularly for a rugby crowd who will not want to leave promptly anyway.
Bristol is worth an hour
If you are already making a three-hour journey, the harbourside and the city centre are a couple of miles away and considerably better than a service station. Tell us if you want a stop and we will build it into the day at no extra cost.
Ashton Gate questions
Two sports, one ground.
Is Ashton Gate football or rugby?
Both. Bristol City play football there and Bristol Bears play rugby union. Tell us which when you book, because the return timing is completely different between them.
Why does the sport matter for transport?
Because football crowds leave promptly and rugby crowds do not. A collection twenty minutes after a football whistle is right; the same booking after a rugby fixture will be waiting an hour.
How far is Bristol from Kent?
Around a hundred and forty to a hundred and eighty-five miles, roughly three to four and a half hours each way on the M25 and M4.
Can we do it as a day return?
For an afternoon kick-off, comfortably, getting home by around half eight. Evening fixtures push it towards one in the morning.
Where do you collect afterwards?
Towards Winterstoke Road, ten minutes' walk, which points at the M5 and M4 rather than at the city centre across the river.
Is the ground near Bristol city centre?
About two miles, and south of the Avon, so anyone heading into the city crosses water on a limited number of bridges.
Can we stop in Bristol?
Yes, and it is worth it after a three-hour drive. The harbourside is a couple of miles away and a stop costs nothing extra when built in.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed before travel and unaffected by motorway delays or how long you stay afterwards.
Western venues and guides
Bristol, Gloucester and the south west.