Trench Lane car boot sale to re-open on 6th May

Trench Lane Car Boot Sale, near Bradley Stoke

A popular car boot sale that takes place near Bradley Stoke is to re-open for the 2012 season at the beginning of May.

The Trench Lane Boot Sale, held on Sundays on a farmland site opposite the entrance to Woodlands Golf Club [map], will open for the first time this year on Sunday 6th May 2012.

UPDATE: Re-opening postponed until 20th May 2012 due to waterlogged field.

You are reading an old post. For the latest news on the Trench Lane Car Boot Sale, visit the Markets page on this website.

New this year: Entry charge for buyers

The organiser of sale has told The Journal that an entrance charge will be levied for all buyers this year, whether they arrive in a vehicle or on foot. Cars will be charged at £1 and pedestrians 50p each.

The move is understood to be a way of circumventing the need for a local authority street trading licence, following confusion in early 2011 when it appeared the organiser might be denied a licence renewal for that year because of complaints of “heavy handed marshalling” said to have occurred at sales in 2010.

In the event, an administrative blunder by South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) meant that the sale’s licence had already been renewed before its Licensing Committee met to consider the complaints.

According to information on SGC’s website, a licence is required by anyone “selling articles … in any road, footway, beach or other area to which the public have access without payment”.  A source at the Council confirmed that no licence is necessary in situations where an admission charge is made but added that planning permission might need to be sought in some cases.

As in previous years, the site will open to sellers and buyers at 7am. Trading goes on until around 3pm, although the crowd typically thins after midday. Sellers are charged £7 for a car or £10 for a van. Free parking is provided in adjacent fields.

Related link: Markets in and around Bradley Stoke (The Journal)

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39 comments

  1. I can understand the logic behind circumventing the licensing issue but they have a license this year so don’t actually need to charge. It’s just extra revenue. A lot of families walk or cycle to the car boot, will babies, toddlers, children have to pay? at 50p per person it will actually be cheaper to get everyone into a car and only pay £1. Not so environmentally friendly though.

  2. Perhaps it is a way of keeping the entrance fee down for sellers.
    It is a very convenient well-run boot sale at which, everyone does well.
    Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face!

  3. Trench Lane is the best carboot sale in this area. They did have a few problems a couple of years ago, but managed to sort everything out. These days most boot sales charge an entrance fee.

  4. @Richard, Strange as it might seem, records show that information about the Trench Lane car boot sale is one of the most read things on this website (and on our Facebook page). It’s also the topic we get most phone calls about at this time of the year.

    If it doesn’t interest you, don’t read it!

  5. I apologise, I didn’t realise that the opportunity for people to moan about having to pay for the chance to root around and buy other people’s junk was such a hot topic.

    I now miss London more than ever.

  6. To be fair, for those of us who regularly use Trench Lane on Sunday mornings, this is news. This car boot sale makes the road hazardous or impossible to negotiate each week (IIRC this is why the Police were not exactly happy). One can only assume that the congestion in both directions will be worse than ever if they’re stopping people to collect the fee on entry.

  7. This is stupid it won’t get as busy as I don’t c people paying to walk round a field which they will spending money in there I think charging is stupid idea!!!!!

  8. UPDATE: Will now restart on Sunday 13th May 2012.
    Organiser says field is too wet for previously announced start of Sunday 6th May.

  9. Thanks for the update about the water logged field and postponed opening; I was about to jump in car and head over. I guess I will see people next week.

  10. Will people be complaining so much about traffic and noise when the Bradley Stoke Community Festival is on in June and bringing in money and support to all who live here? They probably will be. There always is.

  11. UPDATE: Re-opening has been postponed for a further week. Will now restart on Sunday 20th May 2012, subject to weather conditions.

  12. Can’t believe it is cancelled again especially as the weather is so nice. I went down there because i did’nt think it would be cancelled 2 weeks running and there were loads of people turning up with cars full of stuff to sale. Maybe they should advertise on heart radio when it is cancelled as more people would probably hear that. Fingers crossed for next week

  13. wel yet again turned up for a car boot sale and again its shut after we have had lovley weather for days
    £1 for cars to buy… dont they make enough already
    £7 cars
    £10 vans
    about 300 sellers do the maths

  14. Ed: A comment from ‘whitchurch hater’ has been rejected because it contains offensive language.

  15. Well the weather was good but the ground was still very wet. Just imagine the moans from the locals about mud on the road if they had opened. It would have been just another round in their campaign to get the car boot shut

  16. Re: The £1 entry charge

    Cheddar bootsale charge £1 per car, it doesn’t seem to deter people looking around there.

  17. Hi,
    Please can you advise if the car boot sale is happening this Saturday and also if we are able to sell electronics.

    Many thanks
    Claire

  18. If at all possible please could you let us know by the end of today or midday Saturday at the latest whether this Sunday’s car boot is likely to be cancelled as my transport will be travelling a long distance costing a lot in fuel!

    Many thanks in advance.

  19. Hello,

    Is there any news on the condition of the field and if the car boot sale will be going ahead this weekend please?

    Many thanks,

    Dean

  20. I have just spoken to the organiser and he says that the grass in the field is being cut today and the boot sale will be open on Sunday (20th May 2012).

    This information is relayed without any liability.

  21. Many thanks for your speedy response!

    Please could you confirm whether sale of electronics is permitted and if here are any other restrictions?

    Kind regards.

  22. Everywhere all over the world the market is free for buyer.
    Trench Lane car boot sale isn’t market? This is outrageous!
    I refuse to go there on principle.

  23. I go to Easter Compton Car Boot sale at Washingpool Lane Farm every week, rain or shine it’s open every sunday & bank holiday Mondays’ – All year round apart from christmas & new year as they have it inside in the Barns. They charge a £1 fee but you get a free coffee or tea leaflet. Very popular – why not Try it!

  24. I thought it was a very good turn out yesterday despite the very cold weather and people not knowing if it was on.
    Funny though after all the comments on this board there were a lot of people who seemed quite happy to hand over a pound to get in.

  25. I absolutely refuse to patronise any bootsale which charges admittance. I would not expect to pay a fee to walk into marks and spencer and spend my money, why do these people think they have the right to do so? Aren`tthey making enough money out of it? its just sheer greed!

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