Where to park (and directions) for fireworks in Cassiobury Park Sat. 2 Nov. 2013 at 7.30pm.
Best map of Cassiobury Park: MAP.
Full timetable of events, see the Watford Council website (includes details of parking restrictions).
Entrance fee: donations for charity accepted at the entrances to the park.
There are three car parks where you are likely to find parking space:
– the car park IN the park, at the end of Gade Avenue, but for this event, disabled parking only.
– a special car park for the fireworks, see directions (driving) below
– the Gade multi-Storey car park in the town centre, see directions (walking from the car park) below
GADE CAR PARK, multi-storey car park in Watford town centre
See map, or sat nav WD18 0JY, 14
Cost: £2.00 for 2 hours or £2.50 for 2½ hours.
Walking distance to fireworks, 15 to 20mns.
Do not confuse this with the car park in the park at the end of Gade Avenue (which is a 60 to 90 second walk from the fireworks) – scroll down for directions.
There are two exits to the GADE (multi-storey, town centre) car park.
The main (front) exit is by the lifts and two ticket machines. You exit into a service road (it’s actually a ‘real’ road called Bentine Lane) with the shops of the high street visible a few yards to your left. The quickest route from here is along the high street. By this route it is 8mns to the park. The park is large, it will take another 8 to 10mns walk to the fireworks.
DIRECTONS:
At the service road, look to your left, you can see the shops of High Street at the end
Turn left into High Street (landmark: LEEDS BULDING SOCIETY)
Keep ahead, passing to the left of the ponds and continue ahead under the underpass (wide, brightly-lit, lots of people)
On the other side of the underpass, turn sharp left up the steps, aim for the main road,
and walk alongside the road (past the Peace Hospice and Colosseum).
It looks as if you are on a busy road out of town, but the park comes up quite suddenly on your right.
There are two paths into the park, one forks right, one forks left, it doesn’t matter which one you take, either way you have about a ten minute walk to the fireworks.
The back exit (no lifts, no ticket machines) exits into a side street (Rosslyn Road) opposite a block of flats. You could walk round the car park to High Street, but my route is quicker (involves going under a narrow underpass). By this route it is 7mns to the park.
The park is large, it will take another 8 to 10mns to reach the fireworks.
DIRECTIONS:
Turn right into the road (Rosslyn Road)
After 2½ minutes turn left into the main road
and cross Cassio Road.
After another 2½ minutes you can see the park on the other side of the road, turn sharp left down the steps then take the underpass.
There are two paths into the park, one forks right, one forks left, it doesn’t matter which one you take, either way you have about a ten minute walk to the fireworks.
BY CAR FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAR PARK IN THE PARK (AT THE END OF GADE AVENUE) ALL THE WAY ROUND THE PARK TO THE SPECIAL PARKING FOR THE EVENT (ASSUMING YOU GET THIS FAR THEN DISCOVER THAT IT IS FOR DISABLED PARKING ONLY).
You will not find any parking in the streets! Parking here will cost £5.00.
DIRECTIONS:
The numbers are miles on your mileometer.
0.0 From the car park entrance at the Gade Avenue entrance to the park, head along Cassiobury Park Avenue (see map)
0.6 At the end, the road filters left onto main the road (no choice). Stay in left Lane.
0.9 At the roundabout turn left, stay in lane, road bends left, then right, past two big buildings (Leisure Centre and West Herts College) and pedestrian lights.
1.8 Turn left at the second set of lights into Langley Way
1.8 Ahead (2nd exit) at the roundabout
2.0 At the end turn right
Keep ahead for the car park, there will be plenty of stewards.
As you will discover, the park is quite large, but you will only see a tiny part of it (and also it will be dark). There is the remainder of the park, the nature reserve, and Whippendell Wood which takes you out into the countryside. And it is all quite beautiful on a crisp winter’s day. See Cassiobury Walks for dozens of walks, all starting from Cassiobury Park.