End of the Road Festival

Public transport is a convenient way to reach the festival area. The closest major train station is Salisbury (on the main line from London and the South), and shuttle coaches run directly from Salisbury Station to the festival site. From Salisbury you can also connect by local buses or taxis for the 9-mile trip west to Larmer Tree Gardens. The nearest train station in Dorset is Gillingham, which is about a 20-minute taxi ride from Tollard Royal. Blandford Forum itself is served by regional bus routes (for example, the Beeline 24 from Salisbury) that can bring you within a few miles of the event. If you’re flying, Bournemouth Airport (about 30 minutes south) is the closest, with Southampton and Bristol airports also reachable within an hour’s drive. Visitors often fly into these airports and then travel by rail or hire a car to continue to Salisbury or Blandford.

If you’re driving, Blandford Forum is easy to reach via the A350 and A354 roads. The festival site is roughly 104 miles west of London (about 2.5 hours’ drive) and 23 miles north of Bournemouth (around 40 minutes). It’s also only about an hour’s drive from Bristol in light traffic. For navigation, enter the Larmer Tree Gardens postcode SP5 5PY into your GPS and then look for the brown tourist signs with a white flower which point the way to the festival entrance. Remember to book a parking permit in advance, as onsite parking is limited during the festival.

From London or the Midlands, the easiest approach is via the M3/A303 to Salisbury and then west on the A354. From the south coast (Bournemouth/Southampton), you can drive up the A350 and meet the A354 near Tollard Royal. The countryside roads are generally straightforward, but traffic can be slow near the festival gates, so leave extra time on arrival day. If you prefer not to drive in, rentals and ride-sharing are good options.

For accommodations, Blandford Forum and the surrounding villages offer plenty of options. Blandford itself has several hotels, inns and B&Bs. Quaint nearby villages like Tollard Royal and Sutton Waldron have charming country cottages and farm stays – for example, the historic King John’s House at Larmer Tree can be rented for larger groups. Many festival-goers also choose on-site camping (general, family or quiet zones) for the full experience. If you’d rather sleep in a bed, book early: nearby towns such as Shaftesbury, Sturminster Newton and Salisbury have additional guesthouses and hotels, but rooms fill quickly around festival weekend.