Floyd Road · Charlton · London SE7 8BL · Capacity 27,111
The Valley: built in a chalk pit, twenty minutes away
Charlton's ground gets its name honestly. It was dug out of a disused chalk quarry by supporters with shovels in 1919, which is why the pitch sits well below the surrounding streets and why the ground feels bigger from inside than it looks from Floyd Road.
From Bexleyheath, and under half an hour from most of north-west Kent. No professional ground in England is closer to our base, which makes this the smallest matchday fare on the whole site.
What being this close actually changes
Most matchday pages are about surviving a long journey. This one is not.
Under half an hour
Bexleyheath, Welling, Sidcup and Erith are all inside twenty-five minutes. Gravesend under forty.
Genuinely small
Split across four or six people, a Valley matchday costs a fraction of any other ground we cover.
Which is usually the point
People book this one because they want a drink before and after, not because the journey is hard.
A ground below street level
Floyd Road runs above the pitch. The walk in goes down, which matters more coming back up at half five.
How close it is
These are the shortest matchday journey times anywhere on this site.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Matchday journey |
|---|---|---|
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 5 miles | 15–25 min |
| Erith & Slade Green | 7 miles | 18–30 min |
| Sidcup & Bexley | 7 miles | 18–30 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 11 miles | 22–35 min |
| Bromley & Orpington | 10 miles | 22–35 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 16 miles | 30–45 min |
| Swanley & Crockenhill | 14 miles | 28–42 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 22 miles | 38–55 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 25 miles | 40–55 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 28 miles | 45–60 min |
Charlton on a matchday
A residential SE7 grid with a railway line through it, and a ground that fills a hollow in the middle.
| Feature | What it means |
|---|---|
| Floyd Road is narrow | Set-down happens on the approach, not outside the turnstiles. |
| Charlton station is beside the ground | Which takes a share of the crowd and queues afterwards. |
| Residential parking controls | Matchday restrictions across the surrounding streets. |
| The A206 runs north of the ground | Our usual collection side, and the route back towards Kent. |
| 27,000 capacity for a lower crowd | The ground rarely fills, so the exit is quicker than the capacity suggests. |
A local matchday
The exit is genuinely quick
The Valley holds twenty-seven thousand and a typical league crowd is well below that, which means the ground empties faster than almost any comparable stadium. Combined with a collection point on the A206 side, we are usually moving within fifteen minutes of the whistle. That is unusual and it is worth knowing if you have somewhere to be.
The ground is below the street
Floyd Road runs along the top of the old chalk pit and the pitch sits well below it. Going in is downhill and coming out is up, which is a small thing until you have done it in January with a group who have been standing for two hours. We drop as close as the road allows to shorten that.
This is a pub-first booking
Almost nobody books a car for a twenty-minute journey to save time. They book it because a matchday means a drink before and after, and somebody would otherwise be driving. Charlton village and the pubs along the A206 are part of the day, and we build an earlier drop in at no extra cost.
Away days as well
We run a good number of Charlton supporters to away fixtures across the country, which is a different job entirely and usually a coach. Tell us the fixture list at the start of a season and we will price the block rather than quoting each Saturday separately.
The Valley questions
Short journeys and a quick exit.
How close is The Valley to Kent?
Very. Fifteen to twenty-five minutes from Bexleyheath, under half an hour from Dartford or Sidcup, around forty from Gravesend. No professional ground is closer to our base.
Can you drop us at the ground?
On the approach to Floyd Road rather than outside the turnstiles, which is a narrow residential street. The walk is short and mostly downhill on the way in.
Where do you collect afterwards?
On the A206 side, which is the route back towards Kent and where the vehicle can pull away quickly. The point and registration go to your phone during the second half.
How quickly does it empty?
Faster than most grounds its size, because a typical crowd is well below the twenty-seven thousand capacity. We are usually moving within fifteen minutes of the whistle.
Is there parking near the ground?
Matchday restrictions cover the surrounding residential streets. Charlton station sits beside the ground and takes a share of the crowd, queuing afterwards like every matchday station.
Why book a car for such a short trip?
Because of the drink, almost always. A twenty-minute journey is not difficult; having somebody stay sober all afternoon is the thing people want to avoid.
Do you cover Charlton away fixtures?
Yes, and those are usually coach jobs. Send us the fixture list at the start of a season and we will price the block.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking, and unaffected by added time or a slow walk back up the hill.
South east London grounds
Our closest corner of the matchday circuit.