Betfred Opening Times, 68 Forest Drive, Chelmsford CM1 2TS
When does Betfred on Forest Drive open and close? Live opening times for the branch on Forest Drive in Chelmsford, with today’s closing time, a countdown and bank holiday hours.
Checking times…
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Betfred Forest Drive opening times at a glance
- Monday to Friday
- 09:00 – 22:00
- Saturday
- 08:30 – 22:00
- Sunday
- 09:30 – 22:00
- Christmas Day
- Closed — required by law
The shop shuts at 22:00 every night; the Christmas and New Year dates are the only exceptions. The live panel above tells you whether it is open right now and how long remains until closing.
Betfred Forest Drive opening times
Betfred, 68 Forest Drive, Chelmsford, CM1 2TS. Licensed by Chelmsford City Council, with the premises licence held by Done Brothers (Cash Betting) Limited.
This Betfred is on Forest Drive in the Melbourne area of Chelmsford. It is a neighbourhood shop, used mostly by customers from the surrounding streets. It opens in time for the morning race cards and stays open until 22:00 for the evening football and greyhounds.
| Day | Opens | Closes | Time open |
|---|
Why 22:00? Betting premises licences in England and Wales carry a default condition under the Gambling Act 2005 that bars gambling between 22:00 and 07:00 unless the licensing authority removes it, which is why most high-street bookmakers close at 22:00. Individual branch times can still change at short notice, so check before a late trip.
Weekday opening times
Weekdays run from 09:00 to 22:00, a thirteen-hour trading day.
| Weekday | Opening times | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 09:00 – 22:00 | Short queues all day, with a small rush for the afternoon racing. |
| Tuesday | 09:00 – 22:00 | Afternoon racing keeps things ticking over; evenings are relaxed. |
| Wednesday | 09:00 – 22:00 | Busier after 19:00 when the evening football kicks off. |
| Thursday | 09:00 – 22:00 | Evening racing and European ties carry trade to 22:00. |
| Friday | 09:00 – 22:00 | The fullest weekday: coupons for Saturday go on from lunchtime. |
Weekend opening times
Saturday opens earlier than any other day. Sunday opens latest but still trades late.
| Day | Opening times | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 08:30 – 22:00 | Doors open at 08:30 for the morning racing previews and the day’s first coupons. |
| Sunday | 09:30 – 22:00 | Opens at 09:30; Sunday football dominates the screens. |
Most local regulars come in on Saturday, so the counter is busiest between noon and the final results. Sunday is steadier, livening up for televised football.
Bank holiday opening times
Betting shops in England and Wales may trade on every bank holiday, with one exception. Under the Gambling Act 2005, every betting premises licence carries a condition that the premises cannot be used to provide gambling facilities on Christmas Day, so this shop is closed on 25 December by law rather than by choice.
On all other bank holidays, Betfred branches generally run either their normal times or a shortened day. The tables below set out what to expect at Betfred Forest Drive.
Easter opening times
Easter is business as usual for betting shops in Great Britain. Good Friday opening has been lawful since the Gambling Act 2005 came into force and Easter Sunday carries no restriction, so Betfred Forest Drive keeps its standard times over the long weekend.
| Day | Falls on | Next date | Opening times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Friday | Friday before Easter Sunday | — | 09:00 – 22:00 |
| Easter Saturday | Saturday before Easter Sunday | — | 08:30 – 22:00 |
| Easter Sunday | First Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March | — | 09:30 – 22:00 |
| Easter Monday | Day after Easter Sunday | — | 09:00 – 22:00 |
Good Friday racing in Britain dates from 2014, when the All-Weather Championships Finals Day was first run on it, so there is an afternoon card to follow. Easter Monday is one of the biggest jumps days of the spring, with several meetings running at once.
May bank holiday opening times
There are two May bank holidays: the early May Monday and the spring bank holiday at the end of the month. Both are normal Monday trading days here.
| Bank holiday | Falls on | Next date | Opening times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early May bank holiday | First Monday in May | — | 09:00 – 22:00 |
| Spring bank holiday | Last Monday in May | — | 09:00 – 22:00 |
August bank holiday opening times
There is nothing unusual about the late August bank holiday here: the shop opens at 09:00 and closes at 22:00, with racing and, in most seasons, football through the afternoon.
| Bank holiday | Falls on | Next date | Opening times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer bank holiday | Last Monday in August | — | 09:00 – 22:00 |
Christmas opening times
The Christmas fortnight is the one stretch of the year when times at this shop genuinely differ from the weekly pattern. Christmas Day is a legally enforced closure. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve usually finish early, and the days between Christmas and New Year run close to normal because 26 and 27 December are two of the biggest racing days of the year.
| Day | Date | Next date | Opening times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve | 24 December | — | 09:00 – 18:00 |
| Christmas Day | 25 December | — | Closed all day |
| Boxing Day | 26 December | — | 09:00 – 20:00 |
| 27 to 30 December | Between the holidays | — | Normal times, close 20:00 – 22:00 |
| Substitute bank holiday | When 25 or 26 December falls on a weekend | — | 09:00 – 22:00 |
| New Year's Eve | 31 December | — | 09:00 – 18:00 |
| New Year's Day | 1 January | — | 10:00 – 20:00 |
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve at Betfred Forest Drive usually means a 09:00 open and an early close at about 18:00. Racing fills the afternoon, so that is the busiest spell; if you need to collect winnings, go before late afternoon.
Boxing Day
Expect a normal opening time on Boxing Day and an earlier close at around 20:00. With the King George VI Chase at Kempton and meetings across the country, the afternoon is very busy.
New Year opening times
New Year’s Eve
Expect an early finish on 31 December, usually about 18:00, after a normal morning start. The evening is quiet, so get any bets on during the day.
New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day is a bank holiday with a later start than usual, typically around 10:00, and an earlier close in the evening. There is a full jumps racing card, so the shop is open and trading, just on a compressed day.
The festive times shown here are the usual Betfred pattern rather than a confirmed timetable for Melbourne. Branches post their own Christmas times, usually from mid-December, so check the window notice or the Betfred store finder before travelling on 24, 26 or 31 December.
How the live opening times panel works
The status panel at the top of the page works from the current UK time and the published times for Betfred Forest Drive, so the open or closed flag, today’s close and the countdown are always current. A few details on how it behaves:
What the status means
When the panel shows Open, the current UK time falls inside today’s trading times. Closed means it does not, and the countdown then runs to the next opening instead of the next close. Within the final hour, keep an eye on the countdown.
Last bets and settling up
Cash betting at the counter stops a few minutes before the published close while staff settle slips and cash up. If you have winnings to collect at Betfred Forest Drive, get there at least ten minutes before closing.
Getting there
The three buttons at the top of the page open Google Maps: the first drops a pin on the shop, the second builds a route from wherever you are standing, and the third loads Street View so you can see the area before you set off. Buses along Rainsford Road run into the city centre in about ten minutes. Chelmsford station is a little under a mile east.
Nearby Betfred shops and their opening times
The nearest alternative Betfred shops to CM1 2TS, closest first. Distances are straight-line; all of these premises are licensed by Chelmsford City Council, the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Dartford Borough Council or Medway Council.
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Betfred, Moulsham Street, Chelmsford183 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford CM2 0LD
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Betfred, Market Road, Chelmsford2 Market Road, Chelmsford CM1 1XA
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Betfred, Oxlow Lane, Dagenham253–255 Oxlow Lane, Dagenham RM10 7YR
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Betfred, The Mall, Heathway, DagenhamUnit 25 The Mall, Heathway, Dagenham RM10 8RE
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Betfred, Spital Street, Dartford8 Spital Street, Dartford DA1 2DL
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Betfred, Crayford Road, Dartford175 Crayford Road, Dartford DA1 4HA
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Betfred, High Street, Chatham192 High Street, Chatham ME4 4AS
Other bookmakers nearby and their opening times
Want a different bookmaker near CM1 2TS? Each row below opens a Google Maps search around the shop, listing the nearest branches of that operator and their live times.
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Paddy PowerNearest branches to Forest Drive, CM1 2TS
SearchmapOpens the nearest Paddy Power branches -
William HillNearest branches to Forest Drive, CM1 2TS
SearchmapOpens the nearest William Hill branches -
LadbrokesNearest branches to Forest Drive, CM1 2TS
SearchmapOpens the nearest Ladbrokes branches -
CoralNearest branches to Forest Drive, CM1 2TS
SearchmapOpens the nearest Coral branches
For a complete list of licensed betting shops near Melbourne, including independents, see the gambling premises register kept by Chelmsford City Council.
About this shop
| Trading name | Betfred |
|---|---|
| Address | 68 Forest Drive, Chelmsford, CM1 2TS |
| Premises type | Betting shop |
| Licensee | Done Brothers (Cash Betting) Limited |
| Licensing authority | Chelmsford City Council |
| Area | Melbourne, Chelmsford |
| Nearest main roads | Forest Drive; Chignal Road; Rainsford Road (B1008) |
| Public transport | Chelmsford station about eighteen minutes’ walk; buses along Rainsford Road |
Melbourne Park, with its playing fields and athletics track, is a short walk away, and the city centre is about a mile east.
Frequently asked questions
- What time does Betfred on Forest Drive open?
- Opening time is 09:00 on weekdays, 08:30 on Saturdays and 09:30 on Sundays.
- What time does Betfred on Forest Drive close?
- The closing time for today is shown live at the top of this page, alongside a countdown. Standard closing time is 22:00 every day.
- Is Betfred on Forest Drive open on Sundays?
- Yes. Sunday is the latest opening of the week at around 09:30, and the shop trades through to 22:00.
- Is the shop open on Christmas Day?
- No. Betting premises licences under the Gambling Act 2005 bar gambling on Christmas Day, so every betting shop in Great Britain is closed on 25 December.
- Does the shop open over Easter?
- Yes. Good Friday trading has been permitted since the Gambling Act 2005 came into force, and there is no restriction on Easter Sunday, so the shop runs normal times across Easter.
- What are the bank holiday opening times?
- Normal Monday times of 09:00 to 22:00 apply on the May and August bank holidays. Over the festive period, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve close around 18:00, Boxing Day runs 09:00 to 20:00 and New Year’s Day 10:00 to 20:00.
- When is the earliest I can get into the shop?
- Saturday has the earliest opening at around 08:30. Closing is 22:00 seven days a week, apart from Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
- Is there parking near Betfred Forest Drive?
- Yes, in most cases. Spaces on the surrounding streets are generally easy to find outside peak shopping times; check the signs before you leave the car.
- How do I get to the shop?
- Use the directions button at the top of the page. It opens Google Maps and plots a route from your current location to 68 Forest Drive, CM1 2TS. Chelmsford station about eighteen minutes’ walk; buses along Rainsford Road.