Watergate Bay & Fistral Beach · Newquay · Cornwall · August
Boardmasters: two sites, and the longest drive we do
Boardmasters is a surf competition at Fistral Beach and a music festival at Watergate Bay, a few miles apart on the Cornish coast. It is also roughly two hundred and ninety miles from Kent, which makes it the furthest thing on this entire website.
From Kent to Newquay, and the last hour of it is on Cornish roads in August. This is a six-hour journey at best and a genuinely long one at worst, and it needs planning as an expedition rather than a trip.
The surf and the music are not in the same place
A few miles apart, and worth knowing which you are aiming for on any given day.
Newquay
The surf competition. Free to watch from the beach in most years.
A few miles north
The music festival and the campsite. This is where the ticket is for.
A short drive
But August traffic in Newquay makes it longer than the distance suggests.
When you book
So the drop and collection are set for the right site.
Kent to Cornwall
The longest journey on this website. Times include the rest breaks the law requires.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 283 miles | 5h 30m – 6h 40m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 286 miles | 5h 35m – 6h 45m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 289 miles | 5h 40m – 6h 50m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 294 miles | 5h 45m – 6h 55m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 299 miles | 5h 50m – 7h |
| Rochester & Chatham | 304 miles | 5h 55m – 7h 5m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 328 miles | 6h 20m – 7h 35m |
Cornwall in August
The single biggest factor in how long this journey actually takes.
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Peak holiday season | The whole county is at capacity in August |
| The A30 beyond Exeter | Carries everything, and it is not motorway all the way |
| Newquay's own roads | Small town, enormous summer population |
| Festival traffic on top | All arriving in the same window |
| So | We leave very early and plan for the slow end of every estimate |
Getting to Newquay
This is a coach journey, not a minibus one
Six hours each way is a long time to sit, and the difference between a coach and a minibus over that distance is substantial: proper seats, a real luggage hold for four days of camping kit and boards, and room to move. For a group of twenty or more the cost per head is often barely different, and on this particular route it is the best money you will spend.
Consider making it a holiday
A great many of our Boardmasters groups do not simply drive down, camp and drive back. Cornwall in August is worth more than a festival weekend, and adding a few days either side turns a punishing round trip into a proper holiday with the festival in the middle. We are happy to price a drop at the start and a collection a week later.
Surfboards need declaring
Obvious once said and easily forgotten at the booking stage. Boards do not fit in a standard hold alongside camping kit without planning, and a group turning up with six of them unannounced is a problem we would rather solve in June. Tell us what is coming and we will size for it.
Leave far earlier than feels sensible
August in Cornwall means the entire county is at capacity, the A30 beyond Exeter carries everything, and Newquay is a small town with a very large summer population. We plan departures for the slow end of every estimate, and the fixed fare means the extra hours cost you nothing.
Boardmasters questions
Two sites and a very long road.
Where exactly is Boardmasters?
In two places. The surf competition is at Fistral Beach in Newquay and the music festival and campsite are at Watergate Bay a few miles north. Tell us which you need.
How far is Newquay from Kent?
Around two hundred and eighty to three hundred and thirty miles, roughly five and a half to seven and a half hours each way including required rest breaks. It is the longest journey on our site.
Why does it take so long?
Cornwall in August is at capacity, the A30 beyond Exeter is not motorway all the way, and Newquay is a small town with an enormous summer population.
Coach or minibus?
Coach for anything above about sixteen people. Six hours each way with camping kit and boards is not a minibus journey.
Can we bring surfboards?
Yes, but tell us at booking. Boards do not fit alongside camping kit without planning, and six unannounced ones on the day is a problem.
Can we make it a holiday?
Many groups do. We will drop you at the start and collect a week later, which turns a punishing round trip into a proper Cornwall holiday.
What time will we leave Kent?
Early, and earlier than feels sensible. We plan for the slow end of every estimate and the fixed fare means the extra hours cost you nothing.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed before travel and unaffected by August traffic on the A30.
The long hauls
The far south west.