BTCC - Oulton Park - Camping

[TheArchitect]

Hi,

The misses is taking me to the BTCC at Oulton Park next weekend for my birthday and I'm looking for some tips as I've not been there before. We're taking the push bikes up so we can get around and the BBQ will be packed if the weather is nice.

-Are there any nice pubs within walking/cycling distance of the track?

-I have heard you can ride/walk the circuit in the evenings is this correct?

-Any must get to viewing spots?

Cheers and hope to see some of you there!

Rich

[marshal_alan]

TheArchitect said:

Hi,


-Are there any nice pubs within walking/cycling distance of the track?

-I have heard you can ride/walk the circuit in the evenings is this correct?

-Any must get to viewing spots?

Rich

pub on site iirc

i know I walked the track as a speccy a few years ago as did a lot of folk with a bottle of ale or 3 in hand

for viewing i liked the avenue, could see from the 1st corner through cascades and then from hilltop to knickerbrook, also last corner

camping on site is basic, you have portaloos and showers and running water

[IainW]

TheArchitect said:

Hi,

The misses is taking me to the BTCC at Oulton Park next weekend for my birthday and I'm looking for some tips as I've not been there before. We're taking the push bikes up so we can get around and the BBQ will be packed if the weather is nice.

-Are there any nice pubs within walking/cycling distance of the track?

-I have heard you can ride/walk the circuit in the evenings is this correct?

-Any must get to viewing spots?

- Chequers is the on-site bar. Not sure about the local villages, that's an area I've never explored. We just used to bring our own bottles when we camped there in the early to mid-2000s. I can vaguely remember getting woken up by fireworks one year, somebody said they were from the local pub. Couldn't tell you which direction though.

- When we used to campout, it was deemed ok to track walk. I even saw kids playing football and using radio control cars on the section of track under the Warwick Bridge to Lodge. I understand the campsite is no longer in that area of the track. They've moved it about a few times since I last camped.

- Give Druids a try if you're there on qualifying day. There's a nice woodland walk to Druids. A very good place to watch somebody on a qualifying lap. Not so much for the races, as you can only see that particular corner. The area from Cascades to behind Knickerbrook is popular because you can see quite a lot of track at that point. There are now two footbridges at both ends of the track, so getting about is a lot easier than having to wait for the track crossing to open at Lodge or Cascades.

And I don't mean to put you off, but lock up your valuables. If you do have anything in your tent like a wallet or phone/camera, keep it in your sleeping bag at night. I've known a few people who've had their tents robbed.

[NelsonFox]

As a very local resident and frequent visitor to OP I've got a few hints.

1. Take your own food. The on site catering from Chequers is good, but horrifically expensive

2. Do not watch from the inside of the circuit. by far the best vantage point is the crest of hilltop, from the outside of the track. from here you can see the avenue, cascades, half the back straight, hilltop, knickerbrook and clay hill. to reach this point, you need to cross the tyre bridge at the top of clay hill and trek along the perimiter.

3. If you get bored of the on site pub (I've never tried it so I dont know what its like), then you can have a beautifully idyllic 4 mile ride to the Boot and Slipper. A proper olde worlde countryside pub with a good selection of big brand and obscure local brews:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Oulton+Park+C...



No idea on the track walk as I've never been there in the evening, but its a nice track to cycle if they will let you. Above all, enjoy yourself in what is a very very nice area! I would come and join you for a pint but unfortunately I wont be back home until the week afterwards

[TheArchitect]

Cheers guys some good advice. RE security I was going to treat it as a festival and not leave anything important alone. Only concern is the bikes but they'll be locked with a decent lock and kept from view.

[kybo]

There's a couple of pubs in Little Budworth. No idea what they're like but they're a tad closer.

Might try them myself when I'm next up that neck-o-the-woods.

Scott

[Allyc85]

My weekend/camping pass turned up today, cant wait

The track walk sounds good, fingers crossed for good weather!

[alistair1234]

If you want to ride for a couple of miles head up to The Fishpool Inn, recently done out, spent a few £m on the place. Really nice.

[lord summerisle]

Camping for BTCC and other big events is now normally in the large field on the outside of the track that is adjacent to Avenue/Cascades - fairly big area, guess for speccies the plum spots are camping close to the fence line so you can watch the racing from outside your tent. but its a fairly big area. several blocks behind old hall contain showers and loos - might want to camp upwind as they can wiff a bit after a while. But prepare to camp on a slope, as there is only a couple of areas of flat ground.

Have no clue where it is good to watch from as i have never spectated at Oulton, i've always been between the spec fence and the armco. But spots between cascades, hilltop and clayhill offer good views of alot of track.

Getting around is gonna be easier from old hall/lodge now there is the bridge over the circuit at deer leap - the changes to the track at deer leap have ment we are seeing a few more 'incidents' at Old hall as cars are arriving a bit quicker

[StoatInACoat]

As long as it isn't as wet as last year on the Friday it's actually a really nice, big campsite with decent facilities compared to some. If it does rain it isn't the end of the world but last year they cleverly decided to use a Manitou to pull everyone out and generally drive around the site which made the tracks a right bloody mess.

Try and get there reasonably early or you'll be pitching on a slope which isn't nice and take note of the loo block so you don't have to run at 4 in the morning when you realise you're desperate for a poo.

Sadly Oulton is the only campsite where we have had things pinched so lock everything valuable in the car

[TheArchitect]

Looking forward to this now. We'll be arriving 8ish on Friday so hope to be early enough for a good pitch but will have to wait and see.

[IainW]

TheArchitect said:

Looking forward to this now. We'll be arriving 8ish on Friday so hope to be early enough for a good pitch but will have to wait and see.

PM? We used to turn up around 5PM for the gates opening and it was filling up quite nicely back then. And that was when it was less popular with the public, between 2001 and 2006.

Forecast looks good, I'm coming down for it. Can't wait.

[TheArchitect]

IainW said:

PM? We used to turn up around 5PM for the gates opening and it was filling up quite nicely back then. And that was when it was less popular with the public, between 2001 and 2006.

Forecast looks good, I'm coming down for it. Can't wait.

Yeah PM as driving up after work from Oxford.