In 1985 Charlton Athletic had to leave The Valley because the ground was unsafe, and the club spent seven years playing at Selhurst Park and Upton Park while supporters campaigned to bring it home. They succeeded in 1992, partly by forming their own political party to fight the council elections. The Valley remains the heart of Charlton, and football runs deep here, from match days at the ground to Sunday league on the parks. Minibus hire Charlton customers book is led by football, with supporters' groups and grassroots teams, along with weddings and events at Charlton House, school trips and airport runs.
Charlton sits between Greenwich and Woolwich, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, with the Woolwich Road along the river side and the A2 to the south. From our base in SE1, it's about twenty-five to thirty-five minutes outside the rush hour, along the A2 or the Woolwich Road.
Minibus hire Charlton for match days at The Valley
The Valley holds around twenty-seven thousand, and on match days the streets around Floyd Road, Harvey Gardens and the Woolwich Road fill with supporters. Supporters' clubs travelling from Kent and Essex, junior clubs on a day out and hospitality guests book us to get to the ground together. Away supporters book us from stations such as London Bridge or North Greenwich. The club's community trust runs coaching and holiday camps at the ground and in local parks, and junior clubs book us for those too.
We'll check the arrangements for minibuses on match day and set a meeting point a short walk from the ground for after the final whistle. The roads around the ground are residential and tight, so the meeting point is usually on the Woolwich Road or by Charlton station. Minibus hire Charlton supporters book for an evening kick-off usually means a pickup after half past nine.
Sunday league and junior football
Charlton has a strong grassroots football scene, with adult Sunday league sides and junior clubs playing on pitches at Charlton Park, Hornfair Park and across Greenwich and Bexley. Clubs book us for away fixtures, cup finals, tournaments and end-of-season trips.
A squad, the coaches and the kit travel in one vehicle, and the driver stays for the game. Winter pitches can be muddy, and some changing rooms are a walk from the road, so the driver parks at the nearest point and waits. For junior teams with several age groups on the same morning, we can stagger the runs. Send us the season's fixtures and we'll book them in together.
Charlton House weddings and events
Charlton House, built between 1607 and 1612, is one of the finest Jacobean houses in London, with a great hall, a long gallery and gardens, and it hosts weddings, receptions and events. Couples also marry at churches in Charlton and Blackheath, and receptions follow at venues across Greenwich. The house is also a community centre with a café, and a mulberry tree in the grounds is said to date from the reign of James I.
The minibus collects guests from homes or hotels, drops at Charlton House, carries on to any separate reception and takes everyone home at the end. The house sits on Charlton Road beside Charlton Park, and we'll agree the drop-off and waiting point with the venue.
The lido, the parks and school trips
Charlton Lido, in Hornfair Park, is a heated outdoor pool open all year, and schools, swimming clubs and families book us for sessions there. Maryon Park, where the 1960s film Blow-Up was shot, and Charlton Park suit a school nature trip or a picnic.
Charlton's primary and secondary schools book us for museum visits, swimming and sports fixtures. The Greenwich museums and the Cutty Sark are about ten minutes away, and the O2 about five.
Airports and the river crossings
London City Airport is about fifteen to twenty-five minutes from Charlton outside the rush hour, through the Silvertown or Blackwall tunnel. Gatwick is about fifty minutes to an hour, via the A2, the A20 and the M25. Stansted is about an hour, and Heathrow about an hour and a quarter.
The river tunnels carry user charges at set times, and if your trip uses one during charging hours, the charge goes on the quote. For an early flight, we'll build in time for the A2 and the tunnel approaches.
The Woolwich Road and the A102
The Woolwich Road, the A206, runs past Charlton's retail parks and industrial estates and is busy most of the day. The A102 approach to the Blackwall Tunnel, a few minutes west, queues at peak times and whenever there's an incident in the tunnel. Charlton Village, on the hill, has narrow streets around the church. For pickups, we'll agree a point on a side road, and for match days we'll plan around the ground.
For minibus hire in Charlton, call 020 7183 0567.