We are looking forward to welcoming you on site for Wintercamp. To make your arrival and departure as smooth as possible please read through the information below.

For Health and Safety reasons we discourage people from arriving before 2pm on Friday, however you can set up your camp the day before.

1. What to expect...
   • The event opens at 9pm on the Friday, however traffic management will be in operation some time before then as we expect nearly 2500 participants to attend. The site may appear chaotic and therefore it is important that you follow all directions from our traffic management team.
2. Routes
   • Gilwell Park is situated approximately 5 minutes from Chingford and 10 minutes from the M25 J26. However there is a specific route that MUST be followed as access to Gilwell Park will NOT be possible from Daws Hill. The revised route therefore is shown on the map in the Information for All Drivers Pack.
3. Arrivals and parking
   • To ensure the safety of all the people on site, restrict damage to the camping fields, utilise all available car parking spaces and make sure that we don’t have stranded or stuck vehicles, we have to restrict the movement of vehicles around the site. To achieve this we have to implement the system below.
     As there is limited space on-site please consider how you can limit the number of vehicles you bring, e.g. by car sharing and by not bringing unnecessary equipment with you. However, we have arranged for off-site parking to be available, and all vehicles will be parked at this location. This is a short walk or minibus shuttle back to the main site. A map is included as part of the information within the Information for All Drivers Pack. 
     The minibus shuttle will operate from the shuttle bus stop and this is marked on the map near The White House.
     On arrival you will be directed through a one-way system. There will be clearly signed routes for:
     • People dropping off and then making their way off site – maximum stay 15 minutes.
     • People who do not require a kit run and will park vehicles and transport camping kit to site by hand/trolleys.
     • People who do require a kit run and will unload camping kit onto pick up/trailer, then park vehicles.
     Please be patient when waiting for a kit run or parking as we will be trying our hardest to get everyone on-site as quickly and as safely as possible.
     All vehicles must display a vehicle pass - download here as part of the Information for All Drivers Pack.  This must be properly completed with booking reference and mobile number completed in the spaces provided.
     Note: In certain circumstances where vehicles are causing an obstruction or are incorrectly parked, Gilwell Park Activity Centre reserves the right to tow such vehicles out of the way without the owner’s express permission
4. Departing on Sunday
   • Departures will be organised as follows:
     To book your kit run, you will need to talk to the Kit Run Coordinator who will be standing in the Branchet car park. Your kit will be collected from your site once it has been fully packed, and will be returned to the Branchet car park. Unfortunately it will not be possible for vehicles to collect their own camping equipment from Essex Chase, though this may be allowed from other fields – please check with the Kit Run Coordinator for specific arrangements for kit runs and vehicle access.
5. Camping assistance - traffic management team
   • This year we have modified our camping arrangements in response to feedback and requests from a number of groups. All groups will be allocated to a field on arrival (including early arrivals on Thursday) and fields will be opened in a phased manner. This means that if you are regular attendee of Wintercamp you may not be able to camp on the field you normally do, depending on your arrival time. All groups arriving on the Thursday will also need to follow this procedure and MUST visit the centre office before pitching camp. If your group arrives after opening hours then you MUST contact the duty manager on 07885 765074 before pitching your camp – failure to do so may mean you will be asked to move your tents and erect them on the correct field. During arrival and departure there will be members of the traffic management team on all fields to aid your camp set up. The traffic management team will advise you on where we would like you to set up your camp, and will record your camping location so that they can inform any other members of your group that arrive at reception.
6. Queries
   • The reception staff will be able to answer any questions that you have on arrival. If you have any specific requests or questions please do not hesitate to contact the activity centre office during the event.

Download the Information for All Drivers Pack.