Getting to our International Bellydance Summer School

The address of the venue is:

Wellington College
Byron Drive
Crowthorne
Berkshire
RG45 7PU

If you’re coming by car and using a SatNav do not use this postcode (see ‘By Car’ below for more details).

International Participants

Both Gatwick and Heathrow are easy to get to and from.
Heathrow airport. From here there are trains running frequently to Reading. Then you change to a local train line – see the options below. Go either to Crowthorne station or Wokingham station. It is an easy route as the station is not too big and easy to find your way around. Crowthorne is the nearest station to Wellington College.
Using your search engine type in ‘Trains Heathrow to Crowthorne’ and you will be shown train times etc.
There are over 80 trains on a weekday from Heathrow to Reading according to traintickets.com. And a regular service on weekends. Local trains to Crowthorne or Wokingham are fairly regular too.
If you do not want to change trains, you can get a train to Reading then a taxi from Reading to Wellington College – I was quoted approximately £30 – £40 when I spoke to AAA Taxis based in Reading. There is the number for a local taxi service at Crowthorne lower down – you can also pre-book them to collect you.
Crowthorne Station is walking distance from the college – as long as your bag is not too heavy!!!! Walking directions lower down.
From Gatwick airport: There are occasional trains direct to Crowthorne – though more regularly to Wokingham.

By Train

Nearest Train Stations

Crowthorne Station is the nearest train station to Wellington College. It is a small station with no taxis. You can walk from this station to Wellington College in approximately 10-15 minutes (see walking instructions below), depending on how much luggage you are carrying. You could phone for a taxi when you arrive at the station (see Taxis below). If you are coming from London to Crowthorne via Reading, please note that the booking websites indicate that you can change trains at Reading in 8 minutes. We have tried this and found that there was not enough time to change platforms and the train to Crowthorne had already left. It is likely that you will have to wait for 38 minutes at Reading for the next train.

Wokingham Station is approximately 15 minutes from Wellington College by car/taxi (too far to walk). Trains to Wokingham are more frequent. It is a larger station with taxis waiting outside. The taxi fare to Wellington College is between £12 and £20. You may want to find friends or other dancers to share a taxi. You can use the JWAAD Summer School facebook group to find dancers to share with.

Walking from Crowthorne Station

From Platform 1. Leave the station, go across the car park and turn right into Dukes Ride. Walk along the road (past shops) and take the 2nd turning on the right, which is the main entrance to the college. Walk along the drive until you see the main school on the right. There will be a playing field on your left and then a road going left. There should be a ‘BD International Summer School’ sign at the end of this road. If you get to the lake on the left you’ve gone too far. Turn left and walk along the road, through the trees with the big lake on your right and the playing field on your left. Keep going and you’ll see a big orange/red brick building. Carry on past a wall on your right where the swimming pool is, past the building on your left and at the end the road takes you round to the left, into a smaller car park. Come to Beresford House entrance, which is the house on the left.

Taxis

The local taxi provider is Taylor Hanson and Wellington College use this company. We have spoken to them and they suggest you contact them when you are 30-45 minutes away from Crowthorne station. Here is their contact information and prices as quoted in June 2023:

Tel: 01344 75 11 76
Email: bookings@taylorhanson.co.uk

To Wellington College from:

Crowthorne station – £6 – £8
Reading station – £35 – 40
Wokingham station – £15 – £18
Bracknell station – £15 – £18
Farnborough station – £20 – £25

Please note: We cannot guarantee these prices and suggest you contact them direct to find out.

Ask your driver to take you to Beresford House, which is in a turning to the left before the main car park. There should be a ‘International Bellydance Summer School’ sign at the end of this road.

Minibus: Unfortunately we are no longer able to provide a minibus service from Wokingham Station to Summer School. Wellington College no longer facilitate this.

By Car

Do not use the college postcode in your SatNav as it will take you to a locked gate on the wrong side of the Wellington Estate. The best postcode to use is RG45 6DT which is in Fincham End Drive. The entrance to Wellington College (Byron Drive) is on the opposite side of the main road (Duke’s Ride, B3348).

Alternatively you could use the postcode for Crowthorne Station: RG45 6NZ. From Crowthorne Station turn right onto Dukes Ride (B3348), drive past shops and houses and take the 2nd right, which is the Wellington College main entrance.

If you find yourself at the locked gate, turn round and go back to the main road (Sandhurst Road) and turn left. At the mini roundabout turn left into Church Street, then bear left onto Waterloo Road. At the end turn left into Dukes Ride (B3348) and then left at the main Wellington College entrance.

When you come through the college gates tell the gatekeeper you’re with the Bellydancer Summer School. Drive along the drive until you see the main school on the right. There will be a playing field on your left and then a road going left. If you get to the lake on the left you’ve gone too far. Turn left and drive along the road, through the trees with the big lake on your right and the playing field on your left. Keep going and you’ll see a big orange/red brick building. Carry on past a wall on your right where the swimming pool is, past the building on your left and at the end the road takes you round to the left, into a smaller car park. Come to Beresford House entrance, which is the house on the left.

Parking

Please Note: You are welcome to park your car outside Beresford House to unload your luggage. Once unloaded you must move your car down to the main car park straight away. Only Wellington staff and selected IBDSS staff can leave their vehicles in the house car park.

By car from the North:

M1 Junction 6A to M25 towards M40/Heathrow Airport
M25 Junction 12 to M3 towards Southampton
M3 junction 3 towards Bracknell/Woking
At roundabout take 3rd exit onto A322 Bracknell Road towards Bagshot/Ascot/Bracknell
At roundabout take 1st exit to B3430 (Nine Mile Ride)
Follow signs to A3095 Crowthorne
At roundabout take 1st exit to A3095 Forresters Way
At roundabout take 3rd exit to B3348 Bracknell Road
Keep going straight on into Dukes Ride (B3348)
Turn left when you see the main gates to Wellington College
See ‘By Car’ section above for directions of where to find Summer School. Important: see ‘Parking’ section above.

By car from the South:

M25 Junction 12 to M3
Follow instructions above from M3

By car from the West:

M4 Junction 10 to A329(M) towards Wokingham/Bracknell
At roundabout take 2nd exit
At roundabout take 3rd exit onto Peacock Lane
Go straight through 1 roundabout
Take a slight left onto Old Wokingham Road
At roundabout take 3rd exit onto Nine Mile Ride (B3430)
At roundabout take 1st exit onto New Wokingham Road
Turn right onto Duke’s Ride (B3348)
Turn left when you see the main gates to Wellington College
See ‘By Car’ section above for directions of where to find Summer School. Important: see ‘Parking’ section above.
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