Ashley Down
20 min walkStep-free access recorded
RLY station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-10-14
Pirates · #UTG
THE MATCHDAY GUIDE · Bristol
Getting to Memorial Stadium
Use Ashley Down for the shortest railway walk to the Memorial Stadium. Bristol Rovers puts it about 20 minutes from the ground, with trains from Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester.
Plan a stay at Bristol Rovers ↗BEFORE YOU SET OFF
Put your trip together
01 · Arrive
Your route into Memorial Stadium
Follow your ticket to the visiting section off Filton Avenue. Rovers can house visiting fans in the covered South Stand, with additional standing tickets on the Poplar Terrace for some matches. Older ground guidance identifies turnstiles 27–29 for South Stand seating and 24–26 for the terrace, but use the entrance printed on your current ticket. From Ashley Down, leave towards Muller Road and continue towards Filton Avenue, using the stadium signs and stewards for the last stretch. If you arrive by bus, the Memorial Stadium stops on Filton Avenue bring you close to the main access. Allow extra time for the separate away queue.
Bristol Rovers Customer Charter 2025/26 — travel and parking ↗02 · Reach the away end
After the match
If you have driven, expect the first few minutes after full-time to be slow around Filton Avenue and the Gloucester Road junction. Return to your booked space by the same pedestrian route and give the crowds time to disperse. Parking farther from the ground can reduce how much stadium-side traffic you need to join, but it does not guarantee a clear run home. For trains, Ashley Down is the nearest return station and Bristol Temple Meads is the main connection point. If you are using a bus, check the stop on the correct side of Filton Avenue or Gloucester Road before the game. Allow time for full buses and any disruption, particularly after evening kick-offs.
Getting To The Mem ↗03 · Stay or head home?
Choose your base before your hotel
Stay around the northern city centre, Cabot Circus or Stokes Croft if you want a proper Bristol evening as well as the football. You can travel north to the Memorial Stadium by bus, with more restaurants, pubs and hotel choice waiting when you get back.
Hotel to compare: Moxy Bristol · Newfoundland Street / Cabot Circus, northern edge of Bristol city centre
Compare the stay areas →Rail, Underground & tram
Use Ashley Down for the shortest railway walk to the Memorial Stadium. Bristol Rovers puts it about 20 minutes from the ground, with trains from Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester. Leave the station towards Muller Road, then head towards Filton Avenue and follow the away entrance signs.
Bristol Temple Meads is the better place to arrive from farther afield, with a local-train connection to Ashley Down or buses towards Horfield. Filton Abbey Wood and Montpelier are alternatives, but neither is as direct for the away turnstiles. Check the last return train before an evening match.
- Nearest railway station
- Ashley Down, approximately 20-minute walk to Memorial Stadium
- Ashley Down services
- Local trains to/from Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester; check fixture-day timetable
- Ashley Down accessibility
- Two platforms accessible by station footbridge with lifts; check live lift status
- Primary long-distance station
- Bristol Temple Meads; change to suitable Ashley Down local train or bus
- Bristol Temple Meads step-free
- National Rail category A, step-free access to all platforms
- Filton Abbey Wood alternative
- Within 3 km according to club; category B2, ramps steeper than modern guidance
- Montpelier alternative
- Within 3 km according to club; category A platform access, longer walk than Ashley Down
Station to ground & away entrance
Follow your ticket to the visiting section off Filton Avenue. Rovers can house visiting fans in the covered South Stand, with additional standing tickets on the Poplar Terrace for some matches. Older ground guidance identifies turnstiles 27–29 for South Stand seating and 24–26 for the terrace, but use the entrance printed on your current ticket.
From Ashley Down, leave towards Muller Road and continue towards Filton Avenue, using the stadium signs and stewards for the last stretch. If you arrive by bus, the Memorial Stadium stops on Filton Avenue bring you close to the main access. Allow extra time for the separate away queue.
- Away stand for baseline allocation
- Covered Brunel South Stand, with Poplar visiting standing terrace used when required
- Away ticket entrance
- Filton Avenue approach, match ticket and steward-directed turnstiles
- Away seated turnstiles
- 27–29 in older visiting-club guide; check match ticket
- Away terrace turnstiles
- 24–26 in older visiting-club guide; check match ticket
- Away bar
- Away fan area and bar identified in visiting-club material; opening/admission match-specific
- Stadium address
- Memorial Stadium, Filton Avenue, Bristol BS7 0BF
- Stadium main gate what3words
- former.cable.beams
Buses & local travel
Use a bus to Filton Avenue if you are coming from central Bristol rather than walking all the way from Temple Meads. The stadium stops are close to the entrance, with current First Bus timetables showing services 70, 72 and 74 in the area. Choose your boarding stop using the operator's live journey planner, because central Bristol stop locations and routes have changed in 2026.
Buses along Gloucester Road provide another useful approach, followed by a short walk into Filton Avenue. For the return, find the correct direction of travel before kick-off and allow for crowded services. There is no confirmed dedicated stadium shuttle or tram service.
- Nearest bus stops
- Memorial Stadium / Filton Avenue; club says stops are within 50 metres of stadium access
- Buses from Temple Meads and city centre
- First Bus routes 70 and 72, subject to actual timetable and direction
- Other Filton Avenue service
- Route 74 serves Filton Avenue and links south/city/Bristol Parkway
- Gloucester Road services
- Routes 75 and 76 provide alternatives near Filton Avenue
- 2026 service changes
- First Bus changed routes and city-centre stops from 30 August 2026
Away coaches
If you're on an official visiting supporters' coach, use the unloading arrangements supplied by your club rather than choosing a roadside stop yourself. Bristol Rovers reserves stadium vehicle access for home and away coaches, although the exact visiting-coach arrival and collection position is set for each fixture. Check it with the driver before leaving the coach.
The stadium is accessed from Filton Avenue, close to the South Stand and away entrance. Leave time after full-time to reach the coach and for the driver to get through local traffic. Bristol's central coach park is not an approved replacement for an away football coach allocation.
- Visiting coach on-site permission
- Bristol Rovers 2025/26 customer charter reserves stadium vehicle access for home and away coaches
- Coach stadium access road
- Filton Avenue is primary vehicular/stadium access
- Away stand walk from coach
- Follow coach steward or driver to South Stand/assigned away entrance on Filton Avenue side
- City coach park distinction
- Bristol Fruit Market coach park is a city facility, not an allocated Memorial Stadium away-coach park
- Coach CAZ charge for non-compliant vehicle
- £100 daily if route enters Bristol Clean Air Zone
Accessible journeys
Contact Bristol Rovers' Disability Access Officer before booking accessible parking or wheelchair seating. The club reports six places for visiting wheelchair users and a small number of accessible parking bays, but availability changes by fixture. Arrange both through Clare McDonagh rather than arriving in the hope of an on-site space.
Ashley Down has lifts linking its platforms, but check their status and the onward walk before travelling. Bristol Temple Meads offers step-free access to its platforms, while Filton Abbey Wood has steeper-than-standard ramps. For a closer drop-off, ask the club to confirm the Filton Avenue entrance and your accessible route to the assigned stand.
- Disability Access Officer
- Clare McDonagh; ClareMcDonagh@bristolrovers.co.uk
- Visiting wheelchair places
- Club states six away wheelchair places; pre-arrange and confirm current fixture allocation
- Accessible stadium parking
- Small number of visiting spaces by advance arrangement; general stadium parking not open
- On-site home Blue Badge parking
- 22 home accessible bays reported as allocated to home season ticket holders; visitor availability separate
- Ambulant seating
- Club describes sheltered South Stand area with access to accessible toilets
- Step-free rail option — Ashley Down
- Station has two accessible platforms linked by lifts; check service status
- Step-free rail option — Temple Meads
- Category A, step-free access all platforms
- Filton Abbey Wood limitation
- Category B2; some step-free access using ramps steeper than current guidance
- Vehicle drop-off
- Filton Avenue identified by club as recommended drop-off and principal entrance
After the match
If you have driven, expect the first few minutes after full-time to be slow around Filton Avenue and the Gloucester Road junction. Return to your booked space by the same pedestrian route and give the crowds time to disperse. Parking farther from the ground can reduce how much stadium-side traffic you need to join, but it does not guarantee a clear run home.
For trains, Ashley Down is the nearest return station and Bristol Temple Meads is the main connection point. If you are using a bus, check the stop on the correct side of Filton Avenue or Gloucester Road before the game. Allow time for full buses and any disruption, particularly after evening kick-offs.
- Nearest rail return
- Ashley Down, about 20-minute walk; check connection towards Temple Meads/Gloucester
- Post-match bus boarding
- Filton Avenue local stops or Gloucester Road alternatives, check direction and last bus
- Immediate ground congestion
- Club says streets are residential and extremely congested on matchdays
- Booked-car advantage
- Tesco longer-stay booking avoids searching for a legal bay; post-match queues may remain
Filton Abbey Wood
Step-free access recorded
RLY station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-10-14Montpelier
Step-free access recorded
RLY station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-10-14Bristol Temple Meads
Step-free access recorded
RLY station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-10-14Montpelier Rail Station
RLY station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-07-29Redland Rail Station
RLY station recorded in the existing stadium transport mapping. This identifies an arrival option; check your service and the onward route.
Research checked 2026-07-29Would an overnight stay help?
Check your return services, then compare a station, stadium or town-centre stay.
Where to stay
Stay around the northern city centre, Cabot Circus or Stokes Croft if you want a proper Bristol evening as well as the football. You can travel north to the Memorial Stadium by bus, with more restaurants, pubs and hotel choice waiting when you get back. That is generally easier for a long-distance arrival at Bristol Temple Meads than finding accommodation right beside the ground. Horfield and Gloucester Road suit a football-first visit if walking to the turnstiles matters most. The Wellington area offers local pubs and food, but there are fewer conventional hotels than in central Bristol. The Old City and Harbourside offer the widest night-out choices, at the cost of a longer return from the stadium.
Getting To The Mem ↗Choose Horfield if walking to the turnstiles matters more than the evening. Choose the northern city-centre/Cabot Circus side for the best balance of hotel quality, price and a relatively direct run north to the stadium. Choose the Old City/Harbourside if the post-match evening is the priority: it has the strongest concentration of pubs, bars and restaurants, but you should plan on public transport or a taxi rather than walking back from the ground.
For the evening
The strongest all-round evening base is the Old City, King Street and Harbourside. Visit Bristol describes King Street/Welsh Back as the heart of the city's craft-beer scene, while the Harbourside adds a large spread of bars, restaurants and late venues. Stokes Croft and the northern city-centre edge are also useful, especially for a supporter who wants to shorten the trip back from the Mem.
For the train
Bristol Temple Meads is the main arrival point for most inter-city rail visitors. For the stadium itself, Bristol Rovers identifies Ashley Down as the nearest railway station, about a 20-minute walk from the Mem, with services from Temple Meads and Gloucester. Frequent buses also stop within about 50 metres of the stadium on Filton Avenue.
Hotels to compare
Moxy BristolNewfoundland Street / Cabot Circus, northern edge of Bristol city centreAll-round choiceNorthern city-centre position gives a better stadium/evening compromise than the Harbourside.
Bear in mind: Not realistically a walk-to-the-turnstiles choice for most supporters; bus or taxi is the sensible matchday plan.
Hotel details checked 2026-09-27Check availability ↗Booking.com · Choose your dates and check the final price.More about this choice
Verified on Booking.com and returned as bookable on all six sampled baseline dates.
Booking.com currently shows a strong overall guest score with particularly high cleanliness, comfort and staff scores.
Cabot Circus, Stokes Croft and central Bristol food/drink options are accessible without basing yourself in Horfield.
Sampled Friday prices were materially lower than the hotel's sampled midweek average.
It is not as well placed for King Street/Harbourside nightlife as The Bristol Hotel.
Recent review themes include compact bathrooms/rooms, occasional noise or temperature/technology issues and some complaints about bar/breakfast pricing.
A sampled Bristol Rovers home-match Saturday was much dearer than the normal sampled Friday baseline.
The WellingtonHorfield / Gloucester RoadFor the shortest ground journeyBooking.com states it is about a five-minute walk from the Memorial Stadium.
Bear in mind: Small room inventory means availability can tighten quickly around busy dates.
Hotel details checked 2026-09-27Check availability ↗Booking.com · Choose your dates and check the final price.More about this choice
On-site pub and restaurant make it practical for a one-night football stay.
Only ten ensuite rooms, giving it a smaller local feel than the city-centre chains.
Current accommodation reviews repeatedly praise cleanliness, comfort and staff.
Frequent buses on the Gloucester Road/Filton Avenue corridor provide a straightforward route into central Bristol.
Horfield is weaker than the Old City/Harbourside for a full post-match night out.
Recent feedback includes minor room-lighting/decor complaints and mixed restaurant-service feedback.
As a pub with rooms, matchday food/bar operation can be busy and the experience is less predictable than a full-service hotel.
The Bristol HotelHarbourside / Old CityFor the eveningImmediate access to Harbourside, Old City, King Street and Welsh Back food/drink.
Bear in mind: Much farther from the Memorial Stadium than The Wellington or Moxy; use bus/taxi rather than planning to walk.
Hotel details checked 2026-09-27Check availability ↗Booking.com · Choose your dates and check the final price.More about this choice
Booking.com verified and strongly rated for location, cleanliness and comfort.
Large, established full-service hotel with 24-hour reception and on-site bar/restaurant.
Current tourism sources place it directly in one of Bristol's strongest nightlife and dining areas.
Good choice for supporters turning the fixture into a full Bristol night out.
Recent 2026 reviews include reports of significant late-night external music/noise from across the water.
Some bedrooms/bathrooms are described as dated or compact.
Busy breakfast service is a recurring complaint in some 2026 reviews.
Adjacent parking is chargeable; recent review/official evidence puts the hotel guest rate around £19 per night, subject to change.
Check current rates and availability for your dates.
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Sources, limitations and matchday changes
Reviewed transport publication. This permanent guide uses the existing approved research; admission, opening hours, services and parking controls may change for each match.
Station mappings identify arrival options. They do not guarantee a walking route, step-free access or a train timetable. Confirm current club guidance and your actual service.
Official club guidance ↗