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An enjoyable article
Yes, just been reading that Drone. A bit before my time, but I knew Gatwick had been a racecourse before the airport took it over. I thought that Manchester (Salford) had suffered the same fate actually – become the airport. Didn’t realise it was in a different location.
Unfortunately, not only racecourses that suffered from “needed for housing” problem. Bellevue Amusement Park in Manchester was also sold off for a housing estate, though it’s attendance figures were dropping as the years went by. Went to the last night of the Bellevue winter circus and was one of the most emotional evenings I’ve ever experienced.
Great article found that very interesting, thanks for posting.
This side of the water – The Phoenix park racecourse which closed in 1990Unfortunately my local Hereford racecourse does not exactly seem to be making strides to becoming fully operational again. Fortunately there is still activity here, Arab and National Hunt racing still takes place and the venue is still used for entertainments.
Only think it is a matter of time, the City is getting ever more full and the greedy see gold when they look at all the concrete they could put over the race course
Thanks – an interesting read.That Hurst Park turf looked in magnificent fettle at Ascot last week
A very interesting read. I hope Hereford is not added to that list.
As mentioned above we have Arab racing and have had a couple of point to point meetings.
Nothing seems to be happening in regards to getting it back properly on the racing calendar.
No mention of Stockton Racecoure there, also known as Teesside Park. Last time racing was held there was in ’81. It’s now Teesside Retail Park.
https://picturestocktonarchive.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/stockton-racecourse-5/
They missed Lanark, possibly the longest surviving of all tracks. The Lanark Silver Bell was reportedly first run in the 12 century. The track closed in 1977, though I watched some local horsemen race there last summer as part of the Lanimer celebrations
I think the focus of the article was on the closure of city courses which went for development. Lanark racecourse basically went bust.
I regularly pass the old Buckfastleigh course adjacent to the A38 between Exeter and Plymouth. The old grandstand (a bit of a grand name for an old metal shack) is still there with trees growing out of it. The land has returned to agricultural use although they do put up temporary fences and mark out a circuit for point to points. A similar fate for Wye near Canterbury which I used to go to in the early 70’s when at University there.
I can recommend the book “A Long Time Gone” by Chris Pitts for those who like a nostalgic trip back in time. It covers around 90 racecourses that have closed down.
They missed Lanark, possibly the longest surviving of all tracks. The Lanark Silver Bell was reportedly first run in the 12 century. The track closed in 1977, though I watched some local horsemen race there last summer as part of the Lanimer celebrations
Can you see much of the old Lanark racecourse and where about is it?
I know that C4 have had presenters at the site of Bogside on a couple of Scottish National days but that’s the other side of the country for me.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>steeplechasing wrote:</div>
They missed Lanark, possibly the longest surviving of all tracks. The Lanark Silver Bell was reportedly first run in the 12 century. The track closed in 1977, though I watched some local horsemen race there last summer as part of the Lanimer celebrationsCan you see much of the old Lanark racecourse and where about is it?
I know that C4 have had presenters at the site of Bogside on a couple of Scottish National days but that’s the other side of the country for me.
Lanark racecourse was just to the south of the town out past Lanark Loch. It is very much still in existence and fairly easy to see where the racing line was. Last time I saw any pictures of the course were on Richard Hoiles’ Twitter account who had taken a jaunt over there one day when he was on evening calling duty at Hamilton.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BNxQg7eCEAAFLdo.jpg:large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BNxXLtYCQAQy5Ag.jpg:large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BNxXuaxCUAA9z02.jpg:largeThe information board is apparently listed so cannot be removed.
Hope this helps
Quite by accident whilst on holiday in West Wales over Whitsun (and in between taking in Point-to-Points at both Lydstep and Trecoed), I happened across this:
http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/objview.asp?object_id=3212
(NB opens up a separate pop-up to a .pdf document).
Although it hasn’t seen active use as a racecourse since the 1860s, Haverfordwest racecourse can still be walked around in is entirety. Very enjoyable. More photos available on this site:
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Haverfordwest%20Racecourse.html
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
A very interesting article from some time ago which has recently re-emerged as a topic of interest with the Injured Jockeys Fund advertising 4 books on the subject of Lost Racecourses, see the link below:-
http://www.injuredjockeys.co.uk/fundraising-news.asp?$=323&o=
I know of at least 7 former courses where significant evidence still exists, namely:-
Bogside, Buckfastleigh, Haverfordwest, Lewes, Lincoln, Northampton, Oswestry
Can anyone point me to others?Of course, there is Flokestone, will that ever re-emerge? Is there anything left at Aldershot? Twesledown still has significant evidence.
Interest has been rekindled with the Injured Jockeys Fund advertising 4 books on the subject of Lost Racecourses, see the link below:-
http://www.injuredjockeys.co.uk/fundraising-news.asp?$=323&o=
Can anyone point me to others?Does anyone know if there is any evidence of Stockton/Teesside Park these days?
I remember Colwall Park in the Midlands and discovered some good pictures about it on:-
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Colwall%20Park%20Racecourse.html
Interest has been rekindled with the Injured Jockeys Fund advertising 4 books on the subject of Lost Racecourses, see the link below:-
http://www.injuredjockeys.co.uk/fundraising-news.asp?$=323&o=
Can anyone point me to others?If you have an idea of the location of former racecourses then a satellite utility such as Google Earth could be used to find them
Try it in tandem with Streetmap
This allows you to search for places, postcodes and roads. Try entering something like ‘Racecourse Road’ and work your way through the no doubt numerous links. You can zoom in to Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 1:25,000 and 1:5,000 maps. All of which are, of course, the best maps mankind has ever created
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