Guildford To The Revival - Best Route?

[MikeT66]

Looking forward to the coming weekend - it's been a few years since Mrs.T66 and I last attended (2012, I think). On all the previous occasions we'd stop in Brighton for a long weekend, with a day at the Revival.

This year, though, (thanks to some ridiculous Brighton prices), we're at the Holiday Inn at Guildford. So...

... does anyone know the best route from Guildford to Goodwood (setting off very early Saturday morning for 7.00-7.30am arrival)? I'm not sure of any roadworks, and both Midhurst and Petworth look like potential heavy traffic areas.
TIA!!!

[Trophybloo]

Nowhere is a problem at 6.30 in the morning - 9.30 yes!
So go the most direct route and you'll be fine

[tonymor]

I'm from Guildford and 06.30 start going via Petworth has usually been ok with us .

[Paul Dishman]

I usually stay with my daughter in Farnborough and always go via Petworth. Keep an eye out for Speed Cameras all along that route and especially just as you are leaving Petworth.

Edited to add: as others have said leave early

[lee44]

I live in Petworth, and you’re right, both Midhurst and Petworth are both bottlenecks due to being the only realistic approaches from the A3/Guildford. If you go further out to the east or west you’ll end up joining all the traffic approaching Goodwood from the A27/Chichester.

I usually get woken with the traffic before 6. By 7-7.30 it’s starts to grind to a stand still. In recent years they have been directing traffic on a detour around the town, it adds a few miles but it’s free flowing. Despite that plenty of people ignore it and spend 1/2 hour getting though the town. Don’t be deceived into thinking it looks clear as you approach the town, once you get around the corner it very rarely is on revival and FOS weekends.

[Lynchie999]

i always go via Haslemere > Midhurst > Goodwood, never had any issues before 8 ish....

[Travs]

We live in Midhurst - at 07:45 - 08:00 we set off and generally experience only short queues.

[Dogwatch]

lee44 said:

I live in Petworth, and you’re right, both Midhurst and Petworth are both bottlenecks due to being the only realistic approaches from the A3/Guildford. If you go further out to the east or west you’ll end up joining all the traffic approaching Goodwood from the A27/Chichester.

I usually get woken with the traffic before 6. By 7-7.30 it’s starts to grind to a stand still. In recent years they have been directing traffic on a detour around the town, it adds a few miles but it’s free flowing. Despite that plenty of people ignore it and spend 1/2 hour getting though the town. Don’t be deceived into thinking it looks clear as you approach the town, once you get around the corner it very rarely is on revival and FOS weekends.

Great lurking! Trouble with the detour is that you have to be almost in the town to access it (via the A272, a strong contender for the longest unimproved road in Southern England ).

Some nice straights south of Petworth but, as commented above, frequented by scameras and has a bad reputation of its own for accidents.

[RichB]

Dogwatch said:

...frequented by scameras and has a bad reputation of its own for accidents.

If anyone gets done by a Scamera on their way down to Goodwood weekend more fool them

[MikeT66]

Some good advice here - thank you. I'm tempted by the Midhurst route, I think. Petworth is a lovely place but I'm not sure about potentially getting through it easily, even at 6.30am.

[ratboiler]

I have been going through Petworth at 7.30am for the past 4 years and not had a problem getting through, and minimal waiting to get into the car park.

[pencil9]

Me. Also! Not anymore I now think!!

[MikeT66]

In the end I went the Petworth route (Saturday morning, leaving Guildford at 5.45am). Great trouble-free drive down, particularly after Petworth where I found myself behind a rather rapid but brilliantly driven Volvo estate. Had a fantastic blast down to Goodwood following the Volvo, who I ended parking next to on the site, and the driver was a thoroughly lovely chap. A great start to a great event, even if it got uncomfortably wet during the day.
Thanks again to all here for the advice!

Edited by MikeT66 on Sunday 11th September 19:20