How to get to Sherborne

There are many options for travelling to Sherborne by railway, coach, road or air. If you are wanting to be a sustainable traveller, Sherborne has its own train station and coaches stop at nearby Yeovil. 

Drive times from London, the home counties and the south west are around 2 hours and from the Midlands around 3 hours.

You can use the Rome2Rio website to plan your journey by train, plane, bus or car. 

By train 

South Western Railway operates a direct service taking about 2 hours and 15 minutes from London Waterloo to Sherborne.  

There is a direct service from Exeter, with other locations in the South West such as Plymouth and Torquay requiring at least one change at Exeter St. Davids station.  

Visitors traveling from the Midlands will need to change trains at least once. Birmingham to Sherborne by train takes around 4 hours and 20 minutes. 

To plan your train journey and buy tickets, visit the National Rail website.  

Once you arrive at Sherborne Train Station, taxis are available should you need them. The station is located on the edge of the town within a short walk of the Abbey, shops and restaurants. 

By coach 

National Express coaches stop at Yeovil Bus Station which is less than 5 miles from Sherborne. 

Direct coach services from London Hammersmith take around 2 hours and 45 minutes. 

Visitors travelling from other locations in the UK, will need to change coaches at London and may require a connecting journey on the underground. 

When you arrive at Yeovil, you can either travel from Yeovil to Sherborne by taxi or take a local bus. To plan your bus journey, visit the Traveline website

By road 

If you are travelling by road, Sherborne is situated on the A30 between Shaftesbury and Yeovil, 10 miles south of the A303 at Wincanton. 

There are no motorways in Dorset, however the nearest motorways to Sherborne are at the M3 from London via the South East, the M4 from London via Oxfordshire and the M5 from Birmingham. 

There are several long stay and short stay car parks available in Sherborne town centre. Parking for coaches, motorhomes and other large vehicles is also available. Most of the car parks are open 24 hours and some offer free overnight parking from 6pm until 8am. 

If you are driving an electric vehicle, there are two 22kw chargepoints at Old Market Yard car park and another two 22kw chargepoints at Coldharbour car park. Some of the hotels and self catering accommodation in Sherborne also offer EV charging for their guests.

By Air 

The nearest airports are at Bournemouth (32 miles away) and Bristol (42 miles away). Both airports are approximately a 1 hour and 15 minute drive to Sherborne. Alternatively, you can travel by bus then train from Bristol Airport to Sherborne Railway Station which will take around 3 hours and 30 minutes. 

From London Heathrow Airport you’ll need to take the Underground to London Waterloo and then a direct train to Sherborne. This journey will take around 3 hours and 30 minutes. Alternatively, the driving time is 2 hours and 20 minutes. 

From London Gatwick Airport train station change at Clapham Junction to connect with the train to Sherborne. This journey will take around 2 hours and 50 minutes. The drive time between Gatwick and Sherborne is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. 

Discover more...

Where To Stay

You'll find lots of options for places to stay overnight in Sherborne.

Explore & Discover

Sherborne is surrounded by beautiful countryside easily explored on foot or by bike.

History & Heritage

A magnificent Abbey, picturesque Almshouses and two castles, Sherborne is steeped in history.