www.conferencegrounds.co.uk - Directions, Nene Park, Rushden & Diamonds FC

Rushden & Diamonds

Directions

From The North/Midlands:
Leave the motorway at the M1/M6 intersection and take the A14 towards Kettering. On just passing Kettering take the A6 towards Irthlingborough/Rushden/Bedford, you will reach the ground on your left.

From The South:
Leave the M1 at Junction 15 and take the A508 towards Northampton. At the junction with the A45 turn right towards Wellingborough. Follow the A45 past Wellingborough and then towards Rushden. At the junction with the A6 turn left towards Irthlingborough. You will come to the ground on your right.

There is a fair sized car park at the ground, which used to be free, but now costs Ł2 per car to park in (plus motorbikes Ł2, minibuses Ł5, coaches Ł10). However, it is normally full within an hour of kick off and this leads to a number of cars parking on grass verges along the A6. Steve Bingham a visiting Lincoln City fan adds; 'As regards parking on the verges, make sure you don't park across the footpaths or you may well get a parking ticket from the local constabulary'. It can also take some time to exit the official car park after the game (one Cambridge fan informed me that it took him 45 minutes and suggested that this was another reason why fans parked along the A6).

Pubs

There are no pubs within the immediate the vicinity of the stadium. However there is the Strikers Bar at the ground itself. Apart from 'high profile' fixtures, away fans are admitted and the bar which can be found behind the South Stand. Within the ground and away fans are treated to their own bar, called the Airwair bar. If you want a proper pub, you can either take the 15 minute walk into Irthlingborough, or drive down the A6 for another couple of miles to Higham Ferrers.

At the traffic island by the entrance to the ground, you will find a road leading up to Irthlingborough. If you walk up this road you will first come to a pub on your right called 'The Bull' which is quite popular with away fans. If you continue straight on past this pub, then you will reach another on your left, called 'The Horseshoe', which is a small comfortable pub, which serves real ale. A little further on from this pub is 'Mai's Chinese take away & chippy' which we found to serve good food, that we happily munched on the way back down to the ground!

Roger Paterson adds 'if you go into Higham Ferrers heading towards Rushden itself you will find a pub called the Green Dragon (located just before Higham market square on the left hand side). Here you will find a large selection of beers. They specialise in real ales and often have a good range of guest ales. Food is also available here and offers an assorted menu. A little further up the High Street is The Griffin. Here you will find a smaller selection of beers but the restaurant is excellent and good value. The Queens Head (located on the opposite side of the road) is more your spit and sawdust kind offering your regular lagers and bitters.

Alternatively you can drive to the Needle and Awl. This is probably the best place for away fans to head for as it offers a vast amount of ales, beers and lagers as well as offering good food at reasonable prices. To drive to the Needle and Awl will take five minutes. If you come out of the ground and turn left towards Rushden (on the A6),then right at the roundabout (this will have you heading towards Wellingborough on the A45). You carry on along the A45 for approx 1 1/2 miles then take the 1st exit of the next roundabout and there will be the Needle and Awl. You will find the supporters of Rushden a friendly lot'.