Amidst the hailstorms and strong winds, torrential rain showers and even the odd heatwave, if there’s anything to say about British drivers, it’s that we don’t let the unpredictable UK weather get us down when there’s an event to be held.
Bonfire night has come up sharp, and for so many British drivers who will be out and about on the road looking for the best view, we have put together a handy guide which shows the top spots to visit this November 5th.
What to lookout for to find the best parking spot
Light pollution, the Bortle scale, Sky Quality Meter (SQM) reading and artificial brightness all add up to create a Fireworks Visibility score out of 100.
To break this down, the Bortle scale is a classification system which uses astronomical observations to measure light pollution. The scale runs from 1 being the darkest and best for watching fireworks, to 9 which is the worst and most difficult to watch fireworks.
The SQM is an instrument used to give a reading on the luminance of the night sky. A rating of 16.00, is the lowest and therefore the brightest sky, whereas 22.00 is the highest and therefore the darkest.
And finally, artificial brightness measures sky brightness against natural brightness. This is a tricky one to follow as it’s set at 174 µcd/m2, with a rating higher than 3,000 µcd/m2 being known as ‘very high light intensity’, which at this level means that the human eye doesn’t need to adapt to the dark to see.
But science aside, the best rule of thumb is to always look for the highest, darkest, and most open space. Avoiding bright street lights and signs means there’s less artificial light to restrict your view, so opt for a high vantage point in the countryside where possible.
Best parking spots for watching the fireworks
According to the Fireworks Visibility score and research from the LotteryCritic, the top 10 best location points for catching the displays are:
- St David’s, Pembrokeshire – 74.40
- Uckfield, East Sussex – 73.80
- Truro, Cornwall – 73.50
- Wells, Somerset – 73.20
- Kendal, Cumbria – 72.90
- Ripon, North Yorkshire – 71.40
- Winchester, Hampshire – 71.10
- Eastbourne, East Sussex – 70.80
- Haverhill, Suffolk – 70.80
- Elgin, Moray – 70.20
West Yorkshire (29.53), Greater Manchester (29.23) and Greater London (28.93) come in last place in the scale, proving that the busier the location, the worse the chances are of catching a clear view of the displays.
But there are some secrets spots too…
Fear not if your driving route takes you to these low visibility areas. For West Yorkshire, Castle Hill and Holme Moss are perfect vantage points. Even anywhere off the M62 between Manchester and Leeds (just by Stott Hall Farm in the middle of the motorway) or Windy Hill which is the highest point of any motorway in England, standing at 1,221 feet near Denshaw in the South Pennines are also great locations to park up too.
Moving on, from Holcombe Hill in Bury you can see straight across the Manchester skyline, Bury and Ramsbottom, and at this spot you’ll be able to watch the fireworks from all around without anything blocking your view.
Werneth Low in Tameside is anotherpopular hilltop location in Greater Manchester, located on the borders of Stockport and Tameside. The views from this summit are superb, and you can even see as far as Jodrell Bank in Cheshire on a clear night, so the fireworks will be a surrounding display.
You can also see for miles from the top Hartshead Pike in Tameside too,with views across Ashton-under Lyne, Mossley, Saddleworth and Oldham.
And for Greater London, Primrose Hill is a stunning location as the view showcases the entire London skyline, and there’s also King Henry’s Mound; a little-known viewpoint which is arguably one of the best in London, so much so that a law was passed in 1710 to say that nothing could be constructed in front that may obscure the landscape.
But no matter what, we’re with you from A to B and everywhere in between
Whether your drivers have just set out on their next long journey, or they’re on the return stretch, Egertons will be right there when you need us most.
With vehicle rescue and recovery services stretching from breakdown to specialist assistance, we’re committed to supporting your drivers no matter what, where, when or how.
Just give us a call, and we’ll do the rest.