Damyns Hall Aerodrome · Upminster · Essex RM14
We Are FSTVL: twenty minutes over the crossing
Damyns Hall is closer to north Kent than most of London is. Cross at Dartford and you are nearly there. What it does not have is anything around it: no station within a useful walk, no taxi rank, and nothing at all at one in the morning.
From Dartford, over the crossing and out to the aerodrome. It is one of the shortest festival runs we do, which makes the fare small and the case for booking the return obvious.
Close to home, and nowhere near anything
The two facts about this site that matter, and they pull in opposite directions.
From north Kent
Gravesend, Dartford and Bluewater are all inside half an hour. Medway is under an hour. It is a cheap night out by festival standards.
From everything else
An operational aerodrome in the Essex countryside. No station within reach on foot and no passing trade whatsoever when it finishes.
Both ways
The Dartford Crossing carries a charge and it is the pinch point in both directions. We tell you whether it sits inside your quote before you book.
And a field in the dark
Dance events run late and the site is unlit beyond the arena. The collection point is agreed in advance and described by a landmark.
How close it actually is
These are among the shortest festival journey times on our whole site, which is the reason this booking is popular with Kent groups who would never consider a camping festival.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Dartford & Bluewater | 10 miles | 20–30 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 14 miles | 25–35 min |
| Swanscombe & Stone | 12 miles | 20–30 min |
| Bexleyheath & Erith | 15 miles | 30–40 min |
| Sidcup & Bexley | 18 miles | 35–45 min |
| Bromley & Orpington | 22 miles | 40–55 min |
| Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham | 24 miles | 35–50 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 32 miles | 45–60 min |
| Sittingbourne & Faversham | 40 miles | 55–70 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 55 miles | 70–90 min |
What is available when it ends
This is the honest picture, and it is why almost every booking here is a return rather than a drop-off.
| You come out at | Realistic options |
|---|---|
| Early evening | Fine. Anything works. |
| 23:00 | Limited. Rail from Upminster requires getting to Upminster first. |
| 01:00 | Effectively nothing without a pre-booked vehicle. |
| Later | Nothing at all. This is what the booking is for. |
Why Kent groups like this one
It is the local big festival
For anyone in north Kent, this is the nearest large-scale dance festival by a wide margin, and the fare reflects the distance rather than the event. Split across a minibus for eight people it is genuinely cheap, which is unusual for anything with this size of line-up.
The crossing is the only complication
The Dartford Crossing sits between you and the site in both directions, and it carries a charge. We confirm whether that is inside your quote before you book, and we plan the departure around the crossing rather than the distance, because that is where the time goes.
Agree the meeting point before you go in
An airfield at one in the morning has no landmarks worth describing over a bad phone line. We fix the collection point in advance, with something you can actually find in the dark, and the driver is in position before the last set finishes.
Nothing to carry, so sizing is simple
This is a day and night event rather than a camping one, so seat count is the whole question. Eight people fit an eight-seater. Tell us the number and we are done.
We Are FSTVL travel questions
Short journey, isolated site.
How far is it from Kent?
Twenty to thirty minutes from Dartford and Bluewater, around half an hour from Gravesend, and under an hour from Medway. It is one of the shortest festival runs we do.
Is there public transport to the site?
Nothing useful. Damyns Hall is an operational aerodrome in the Essex countryside with no station within walking distance and no passing trade at all when the event finishes.
Do you charge for the Dartford Crossing?
We tell you before you book whether the crossing charge applies to your route and whether it sits inside your quote. Nothing is added afterwards.
What time can you collect us?
Any time, including after the last set. The site runs late and there is no alternative way home, so the return is the leg most people book.
Where will the driver meet us?
At a point agreed before you go in, described by a landmark you can find in the dark rather than a pin on a map. Signal on an airfield is unreliable.
Do we need a big vehicle?
No, unless the group is large. Nothing to carry means seat count is the whole sizing question.
Can someone book on our behalf?
Yes. The booker does not need to travel. We send the driver's name and registration to whoever is going.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking. The hour you finish does not change it.
Other festivals and guides
Close to home, and further out.