ELDERFLOWER FIELDS FESTIVAL – ACCESS INFORMATION

INTRODUCTION

On behalf of Elderflower Fields, we would like to extend a warm welcome to our guests with additional needs. We hope that you find this information sheet useful.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS PAGE AS A PDF

CONTACT DETAILS

If you have any queries or requests relating to accessibility, please contact us as soon as possible and no later than the 1st May at hello@elderflowerfields.co.uk. We aim to respond to all queries within 5 working days. Please note we are unable to consider accessible requests after 1st May.

Email: hello@elderfowerfields.co.uk

Post: Elderflower Fields, Spithurst Hub, Spithurst Road, Barcombe, East Sussex, BN8 5EE

SITE DESCRIPTION

Elderflower Fields takes place on a part of the estate of Pippingford Park. The festival occupies roughly 60 hectares in total, made up primarily of grass fields and mixed woodland. The site is generally sloped. There are gravel roads around some parts of the site and firm dirt tracks through parts of the woodland, but much of the festival is accessible only over grass or through unpaved woodland. This can be especially difficult if the ground is wet due to heavy rain.

The festival site has two primary performance venues, Dragonfly Stage and Moonshine Fandango with dozens of family activity locations dotted around the woodland and grass fields. Of the two performance locations, Dragonfly Stage sits at the bottom of a gently sloping grassed field. To view the stage requires access off made up pathways and roads. Moonshine Fandango is located just off a made up pathway in the Lazy Glades area of our festival. Other informal performance, workshop and activity spaces are located around the site and are generally accessible directly from or within a short distance of a made up pathway or road.

At present, we offer accessible camping pitches at the bottom of our live in vehicle field (additional charges apply for this option) which is then downhill to the festival. For those who require it, customers may reserve a dedicated space into which they can bring a car or other vehicle allowing them to pitch a tent on relatively flat ground, with a guaranteed amount of space. Their car is allowed to stay there for the duration of the festival. This area is located about 200m from the Dragonfly stage and the heart of the festival site.

For guests staying in the general camping areas, the distance from the car park, through the ticketing tent, to the middle of the main family camping field is about 650m. The distance from the furthest part of the live in vehicle field, to the very bottom of the site, which is conceivably the biggest single distance which you could travel across the whole festival site, is about 1200m. The route from the car park, through ticketing to the campsites is mostly downhill across grass with occasional flat sections. On your return to the car park this means the walking route from the campsites is mostly uphill.

BOOKABLE ACCESS FACILITIES

Free Tickets for Personal Carers

We offer a free ticket scheme for carers or personal assistants. All requests must be submitted no later than the 1st May. You are eligible for a free carer ticket if you are entitled to Disability Living Allowance (no specific rate required), are in receipt of Personal Independence Payments, have a registered assistance dog, or are registered severely sight impaired. If you would like to take advantage of the free carer ticket offer, please first contact us at hello@elderflowerfields.co.uk with proof of DLA or that you are registered severely sight impaired and we will send you a special link to book your tickets.

If you are not able to provide any of the above evidence but feel you need a personal assistant ticket to access the festival, please contact us and provide any evidence you have which we will consider on a case by case basis.

Accessible Camping

There are two options, in addition to camping in the general camping areas or live-in vehicle field.

There are a limited number of pitches reserved at the bottom of the live-in vehicle field, closest to the festival for those who need to camp with a vehicle. These cost the same as standard live-in vehicle pitches (see the live-in vehicle page of the website for more info). They are allocated strictly on a first come first served basis. You can use these pitches to park a car next to your tent or for a live-in vehicle.

Alternatively, you can camp in a reserved area of the main family camping field, close to toilets, showers and as near to the main areas of the festival site as you can get. We may consider allowing early access here to pitch your tent and drop off your gear prior to the festival opening on a case by case basis but do discourage extra travel miles to the festival unless absolutely necessary.

To enquire about the availability of these spaces, please contact us as soon as possible and no later than the 1st May at hello@elderflowerfields.co.uk. We are unable to consider accessible requests after 1st May.

OTHER ACCESS FACILITIES

Accessible Parking

We reserve the section of the car park closest to the ticketing tent for blue badge holders. To book these spaces in advance please email hello@elderflowerfields.co.uk no later than the 1st May. Once booked, on arrival please make the car park stewards aware you have reserved a blue badge space as you arrive on site and have your blue badge clearly displayed. They will direct you to the reserved accessible parking area. Please note, these spaces are still within the main car park and simply mean the distance between your car and the campsites is reduced by a few hundred metres.

Viewing Platforms

We do not have any viewing platforms for our performance venues.

Free Buggies

We also have accessible golf buggies which are dedicated for customers with accessibility needs. If you think you might have trouble moving around the site during the festival, please contact us on hello@elderflowerfields.co.uk as soon as possible and no later than the 1st May. We can provide a limited service with these buggies and a dedicated person and phone number to call during the event in case you need help.

If you are a wheelchair user, we can arrange for our accessible buggy to pick you up from the car park and drop you off in the festival site (and vice versa) at prearranged times if required. Again please contact hello@elderflowerfields.co.uk as soon as possible and no later than the 1st May.

TRAVEL GUIDE

Taxi Drop Off

A drop off point is located within the car park. If you would like to book a taxi to collect you from the festival, please head to the Information Tent and they will be able to assist you. The Postcode of the festival is TN22 3HW.

ARRIVAL GUIDE

Site Opening Times

The site opens to the general public at 12 noon on the Friday and closes completely at 2pm on the Monday.

Arriving on Site

When you arrive on site, you will be directed by the car parking stewards to an appropriate parking space. Once parked, you should follow the signs or the stewards directions to the ticketing tent. You will then exchange your tickets for festival wristbands which will allow you access to the festival site and campsites. At peak times on Friday afternoon there can be queuing of up to an hour at this point. Peak times are on Friday between 12pm and 2pm and again between 4pm and 7pm. You need to bring your festival ticket, either printed out, or preferably on your phone or tablet.

If you have booked one of our accessible live in vehicle pitches you should mention this to the car parking stewards when you arrive. They will direct you past the main car park or to the live in vehicle area. As you drive down the hill, the rows are marked with letters. Find your row and drive in, then find your pitch – numbers will be marked on the ground. If you are unsure or unable to find your pitch, look for a steward in high visibility jacket and ask them for assistance. Once you have found your pitch you can set up camp. Before you continue by foot into the main festival site, you’ll need to make your way to the ticketing tent where you can exchange your tickets for wristbands. One person can do this on behalf of a whole group if you prefer.

INFORMATION TENT

Once you arrive on site, we suggest you make a note of the location of the Information Tent – it’s marked on the festival map and is right in the middle of the festival site, close to the main performance venues and also to the main campsite. It’s a good place to go with any queries or questions during the festival. If you need any assistance whilst at Elderflower Fields head to the Information Tent and one of the team will be able to support you as best as possible.

If you have wheelchair batteries or other equipment which needs charging, the team at the Information Tent will be able to help you with this.

If you have medication or special food items which you need to keep refrigerated, this can also be provided via the Information Tent team.

The team in the Information Tent will also have access to a microwave, should you require one for heating food.

TOILETS

Toilet facilities are located around the festival site. Most of these are in the form of (nice) trailer units, but some are of the plastic single toilet variety. All toilet locations are marked on the festival map and all main toilet blocks have an accessible toilet. An accessible toilet is located approximately 20m from the reserved accessible camping pitches.

There are proper sinks in most of the toilet units, but a few will only contain alcohol sanitiser gel. There are dedicated hand wash and drinking water points located next to all main toilet blocks. These will be marked on the festival site map.

There are also free hot showers located in all the campsite areas. These can be very busy first thing in the morning and you may have to queue to use them.

MEDICAL SERVICES & WELFARE

St John Ambulance provide our medical services and they have a First Aid Tent and a Mobile Treatment Unit in the centre of the festival site on Leapfrog Lawns. We also have an on site ambulance. Please feel free to go and see the friendly team there at any point during the festival if you have a medical issue you would like help with.

Next to the Information Tent there is also a baby change and breastfeeding tent. The team in the Information Tent has access to a microwave should you need one for warming milk.

ACCESS TO PERFORMANCE

At the moment we do not have any audio description, sign language or captioning services for our performances.

ASSISTANCE DOGS

If you require an assistance dog to attend the festival, we request that you contact us as soon as possible and no later than the 1st May to discuss how best we can accommodate you. You will also need to provide proof that any dog is registered with an organisation that is a member of Assistance Dogs UK.

STROBE LIGHTING

We have a strobe free policy at Elderflower Fields and can confirm that none of our stages or performances will include the use of strobe lighting.