Plumpton, Lewes BN7 3AL · Fontwell Park, Arundel BN18 0SX
Plumpton & Fontwell Taxi – Fixed Price Quote, Book Online 24/7
These are two of the friendliest small jumps courses in the country, set in proper Sussex countryside. They are also served by tiny stations, minimal buses and a local taxi supply of roughly nobody, which is charming right up until you want to leave.
Both National Hunt, both small, both rural, and about forty miles apart. Plumpton sits under the Downs near Lewes and Fontwell is out towards Arundel, which makes them quite different journeys from Kent despite feeling like a pair.
Plumpton or Fontwell? Know which one before you book
People mix these two up more often than any other courses we cover, and since they are the better part of an hour apart, it is an expensive mistake.
Near Lewes, East Sussex
BN7 3AL. The closer of the two to Kent, tucked under the South Downs, with a tight turning track and a genuinely local crowd. Around an hour and a quarter from Tunbridge Wells.
Near Arundel, West Sussex
BN18 0SX. Further west and a longer run, with a distinctive figure-of-eight chase course. Add roughly forty minutes to a Plumpton journey.
Small, rural, friendly
Compact courses where you can stand at the rail, entry costs a fraction of a festival meeting, and the atmosphere is nothing like a big Saturday crowd.
Getting there and back
Plumpton station is a request-style rural halt and Fontwell has no station at all. Local taxis are few and largely pre-booked. Turning up and hoping is not a plan.
Two courses, two sets of timings
The difference between the two matters when you are planning the day, so both are listed. Fontwell is the longer trip by a clear margin from anywhere in Kent.
| Pick-up area | To Plumpton | To Fontwell |
|---|---|---|
| Tunbridge Wells & Southborough | 60–75 min | 100–125 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 70–85 min | 110–135 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 80–100 min | 120–145 min |
| Bromley & Orpington | 75–95 min | 110–135 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 85–105 min | 120–145 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 90–110 min | 125–150 min |
| Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham | 95–120 min | 135–160 min |
| Ashford & Tenterden | 85–105 min | 130–155 min |
| Canterbury & Whitstable | 110–135 min | 150–180 min |
| Central London | 85–110 min | 110–140 min |
When they race
Both are jumps courses, so the season runs through the colder half of the year, with a handful of summer fixtures at Fontwell. Winter racing brings weather risk, which is worth planning for.
| Period | What runs | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | Season opens, both courses busy | Good weather, firm ground and the easiest travelling of the year. |
| Winter | Core National Hunt fixtures | The best racing and the highest abandonment risk. Check before travelling. |
| Early spring | Season peaks | Popular meetings, still small crowds by any national standard. |
| Summer | Limited fixtures, mainly Fontwell | Evening meetings and family days when they run. |
| Bank holidays | Family fixtures at both | Busier than usual, entertainment for children, more kit to carry. |
Why rural courses need more planning, not less
The transport is the whole issue
At a big course, the problem is too many people wanting to leave at once. At a small country course, the problem is that almost nothing serves it. Plumpton's station is a quiet rural halt with a limited service, Fontwell has no station at all, and the local taxi trade in both areas is small and busy on race days. People do arrive by train and then find themselves stuck, and it is a long way to walk in either case.
Winter racing and the weather
Jump racing in Sussex between November and March is superb and occasionally cancelled. Frost, waterlogging and high winds all take fixtures off, sometimes at short notice on the morning itself. Check the going before you set off, and let us know as soon as you hear anything, because we would far rather move a booking than have you sitting in a car park looking at an empty course.
Small courses suit small groups
You do not need a coach for Plumpton. Most of our bookings here are a car, an MPV or an V Class, often a group of friends who go a few times a season. Because the fares are modest and the racing is cheap to attend, it is one of the more affordable proper days out available from Kent, and it feels a world away from a festival meeting.
Combining a raceday with the county
Both courses sit in genuinely good country. Plumpton is minutes from Lewes and the Downs, Fontwell is close to Arundel and its castle. A number of our bookings build in lunch, a pub or a look around a town on the way, which turns an afternoon's racing into a full day out. It costs nothing extra when it is planned in at the quoting stage.
Plumpton and Fontwell travel questions
Two small courses, one recurring problem.
Can I get a taxi at Plumpton or Fontwell?
Realistically, not on spec. Both are rural courses with a small local taxi trade that is largely pre-booked on race days. Turning up and expecting to find a car afterwards is how people end up waiting a very long time in the cold. Book the return before you travel.
Is there a train station at either course?
Plumpton has a small station with a limited service that leaves you with a walk. Fontwell has none at all, with Barnham and Arundel the nearest options and a road journey at the end of each. Neither is a comfortable plan without transport arranged.
Which is closer to Kent?
Plumpton, by a clear margin. From Tunbridge Wells it is around an hour and a quarter, while Fontwell is closer to two hours. From north Kent add roughly half an hour to both. The table above gives both sets of times.
What happens if the meeting is abandoned?
It does happen in winter, sometimes on the morning itself. Tell us as soon as you know and we will cancel or move the booking without a fee subject to our normal notice period. We would much rather that than send a vehicle to an abandoned fixture.
Do we need a coach?
Almost certainly not. These are small courses and most of our bookings are cars, MPVs and V Class. We can send larger vehicles if your group needs them, but there is no need to over-specify for a country meeting.
Can we stop for lunch or visit Lewes or Arundel?
Yes, and it makes a much better day. Both courses sit in attractive country close to good towns. Extra stops cost nothing extra when included at the quoting stage.
How much does it cost compared with the big courses?
Less, in every respect. Entry is a fraction of a festival meeting and the journey from Kent is shorter than Ascot or Cheltenham. It is one of the more affordable proper racedays available to us.
Do they race in summer?
Fontwell has some summer fixtures including evening meetings, while Plumpton is mainly an autumn to spring course. Both are jumps tracks, so the heart of the season is the colder half of the year.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking. A long afternoon, a drink afterwards or a slow exit from a muddy car park make no difference to what you pay.
Can you collect us from a pub afterwards rather than the course?
Yes, and a fair few groups do exactly that. Tell us where and when at the point of booking and we will collect from there instead.
Other Sussex days and guides
Country racing and the rest of the southern circuit.
Travel guides
Closest airport to Plumpton and Fontwell Park Racecourses
Gatwick Airport is the closest airport to Plumpton and Fontwell Park Racecourses, roughly 21 road miles and about 47 minutes by car outside the peaks. London City Airport is the next closest at around 50 miles (97 min), and is often the better choice depending on where you are flying from.
| Airport | Road distance | Drive time | Fixed-fare taxi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatwick Airport (LGW) | 21 miles | about 47 min | Get fixed fare · LGW transfers |
| London City Airport (LCY) | 50 miles | about 97 min | Get fixed fare · LCY transfers |
| Heathrow Airport (LHR) | 52 miles | about 99 min | Get fixed fare · LHR transfers |
| Southend Airport (SEN) | 69 miles | about 129 min | Get fixed fare · SEN transfers |
| Southampton Airport (SOU) | 70 miles | about 131 min | Get fixed fare · SOU transfers |
Best airport for Plumpton and Fontwell Park Racecourses: which one to fly into
Distance is only half the answer. Pick the airport with the right flight, then let us handle the road: every Rushxo airport taxi to Plumpton and Fontwell Park Racecourses is a fixed fare agreed before you book, the driver tracks your flight and meets you in arrivals with a name board, and waiting time for a late landing is built in. Popular searches: taxi from Gatwick Airport to Plumpton and Fontwell Park Racecourses, taxi from London City Airport to Plumpton and Fontwell Park Racecourses, taxi from Heathrow Airport to Plumpton and Fontwell Park Racecourses.
Airport taxi to Plumpton and Fontwell Park Racecourses: how it works
- Fixed price per car, not per person, saloon to V Class minibus
- Meet and greet in arrivals, live traffic routing, name board
- Drop-off and pickup charges included in the fare
- Child seats and wheelchair-accessible vehicles on request
- Return to the airport after the event at the same fixed price
- 24/7, pre-booked, TfL and council licensed drivers
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