The only threads I could find about attending Burghley are multiple years old so I figured I would start here instead of resurrecting the old ones. My friend and I are working on our plans to attend this year! I would love any advice about experiencing the event, especially about lodging, transportation, etc. Thank you!
We were there in 2018. Our plans were only for XC day. We incorporated Burghley into our vacation and stayed in London. It’s an easy train trip from London to Stamford (where Burghley is held). It’s about a mile from the train station to the XC course. You can get an excursion ticket which doesn’t relegate you to a specific train time.
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I’ve gone a few times, and stayed in Petersborough each time. It’s a 10-15ish minute train ride to Stamford, with plenty of guesthouses, hotels, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. The only weird thing, and this may change (I haven’t gone for two years) is the train schedule for Sunday was really reduced so it was necessary to take a taxi (expensive*) to get to Stamford in a timely manner (you can use Trainline to see the schedules).
It’s a blast… you’ll have a great time!
(*I was in Dorset last week, and planned to catch a train to Gatwick. Unfortunately there was a mudslide and all the trains were cancelled. I managed to find a bus to get me to Gatwick an hour before my flight, but the 14 mile trip to the bus station was a shocking 90 pounds. England, you know I love you, but that’s ridiculous).
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There is a good hotel in Peterborough that is directly across the street from the train station and a Waitrose right next door: Great Northern Hotel. Once you arrive in Peterborough no need for a car, horse trial is walking distance from train station in Stamford.
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Oakham is also a short train ride to Stamford.
Google is useful. https://www.google.com/maps/search/Hotels/@52.6515489,-0.7359837,11707m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1
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If you are going to be travelling specifically for Burghley, I would suggest that you buy a “membership” for the full period. That gives to access to somewhere comfortable to sit and rest during the very busy day. There is plenty to see as other competitions, such as the final for Young Event Horses, and displays, such as Dressage or Breeding Stallions, take place around the Eventing. The shopping is such that many people go just for that and ignore the boring horsey thing. As a broad generalisation, the weather is a slightly more reliable at that time of year and Burghley is on the drier side of the country. The estate is within easy walking distance of the railway station so it is possible to stay in London and just go up for a day or stay in Peterborough for a few days and travel to Stamford within a few minutes. Peterborough has a fantastic ancient cathedral but is not a notable centre of anything and is rather a drab place being heavily developed in the 20th century. An alternative is to look up “accommodation in Rutland”, such as in Oakham, or Rutland Water, then Burghley is easily accessible by car. Any way you do it, travel light because you are likely to go home heavily laden with goodies. Personally, I prefer Burghley to Badminton as there is more terrain and the organisers have always been more adventurous than the other B.
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I would definitely opt for the membership passes - the organizers of both Burghley and Badminton make it quite reasonable to purchase the passes and they’re offered by the day or for the entire event. There are tons of food and drink (adult beverages) vendors all over the place including out on the course. It’s nice to have a comfortable place to sit and relax between course walking and wandering thru all the shops - and there is plenty of shopping - and it’s a great mix of horse stuff and clothes, household items etc. I met a lot of people who just come on Thursday and Friday to Christmas shop.
While it’s doable from London, it’s nice to be 20 minute or so drive away - accommodations book up quickly so I’d suggest you start booking a hotel or B&B sooner than later. Some people book AirBNB which is great but when did it we found that nearly every restaurant was booked solid so from now on we stay in a hotel. You’ll have a blast
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