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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
Ah yes. Nestled up against the M6 in a rather unlovely area north of Stechford, lies the remnants of Bromford Bridge featuring amongst others:
Haydock Close
Arkle Croft
Reynoldstown Road
Tulyar Close
Newmarket Way
Redcar Croft etcThe now open-land former parade ring is still clearly visible on Google Maps.
Mike
Does anyone know if there is any evidence of Stockton/Teesside Park these days?
Teeside Park has sadly been obliterated and replaced with…Teeside Park. A multi-faceted retail and entertainment complex for us all to enjoy.
Mike
Well, according to Streetmap there’s 31 Racecourse Roads in the UK
Here’s the map showing the former Oswestry Racecourse
edit: Don’t know why the link only shows a small part of the map, if happily the right part! Anyway you get the idea
I am told of a course in north Shropshire
called Woore closed in the 60’s.q.v. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woore_Racecourse. Plenty on this course in A Long Time Gone, too.
I’m not sure of the precise location of the course, other than it was situated in the hamlet of Pipe Gate, so around here somewhere: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Pipe+Gate,+Market+Drayton/@52.9628481,-2.3944835,668m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x487a61a4917365f7:0xe2d792c497c4d703!8m2!3d52.9629632!4d-2.3913297
What a shame for those Rules handlers such as Daniel Mark Loughnane based in Baldwins Gate that the course isn’t still operative. It would have been practically on their doorstep.
The Mucklestone point-to-point course mentioned last saw use in the early 1980s, but the North Staffordshire host an Easter Saturday point to this very day, at Sandon.
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.
The newly published books ‘Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow’ contain many original Ordnance Survey maps showing the locations of the former racecourses. The link below takes you the map of Stockton/Teesside included in Volume 1:-
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Stockton%20Racecourse.htmlThe newly published books ‘Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow’ contains over 150 old Ordnance Survey maps spread throughout the 4 volumes showing the positions of former racecourses. The link below takes you to the map of Oswestry included in Volume 1:-
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Oswestry%20Racecourse.htmlVery nice too. These old maps should help you no end in finding what remains of them today. All you now need is the aforementioned Google Earth and its mega-zoomable satellite images
Chris Pitt covers the defunct racecourse at Moreton in Marsh in three pages of his book A Long Time Gone. Sadly, there is no extant trace of this venue.
They raced at Moreton from the 1840s to 1915. Probably one reason the course discontinued operations was that in 3 mile chases the field had to cross the Fosse Way twice. Masquerading in some stretches as the A429, the road is an arterial north-south route around these parts and, according to contemporary reports, the traffic flow was beginning to get busy around 1915.
With reference to this map:
Hit the south arrow once and note the bridge over the River Evenlode. In 3m chases the horses passed eastwards just north of this bridge and westwards south of the bridge on the return journey.
I travel this way several times per week. Perhaps surrealistically, I used to wonder why traffic lights could not have been employed to show red and halt the field whenever a car was seen heading down the road. Then I learned that traffic lights were not introduced in the UK until the mid 1920s, so clearly it was not possible to implement this brilliant and innovative idea at that time.
At the probably justifiable risk of being accused of self-marketing, my 1999 book “The Croydon Races” on the once-important defunct 19th century course is available via Amazon at a modest price. Over the years there have been books about others – Oswestry and Wrexham come to mind – and I gather one about the old Chelmsford course will be on sale before long. There was an article in the Racing Post a few years ago, and I think some of it is still traceable.
There are footpaths alongside the finishing straight of Lewes racecourse. Alexandra Park is walkable – the loop is very distinct. Tall trees grow where the stands used to be. The Richmond course in North Yorkshire remains, with a couple of 200-year old buildings. Newmarket’s old NH track on the southeast side of the A1304, circling the Links Golf Course, is I believe still used as gallops. Try looking for these in Google Earth.
That has been very interesting and helpful. Please keep the comments coming if you know of others.
I know that there is still significant evidence of Selkirk racecourse, and even some features of Harrogate racecourse remain. See the links below:-
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Harrogate%20Racecourse.html
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Selkirk%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 I could visit?I used to live in Harrogate. There’s no remains of the racecourse extant other than the greensward of The Stray itself which is Common Land held in perpetuity for the enjoyment of the good citizens of the town
There’s a splendid satellite image of the green dream on Google Earth, which also clearly shows how little High Harrogate has changed since your map was published, around the Queen Hotel (now Cedar Court Hotel), Granby Hotel (now an old folks’ home), Christ Church and Church Square
Much like Micklegate Stray in York, part of which is York Racecourse on the Knavesmire
I’ve long held an ambition to be created a Freeman of Micklegate Stray as this would permit me to both graze my sheep in the Silver Ring and gain free entry to the Ebor Meeting. However as my family have not been resident in York for over 500 years I’ve got no chance
Blind Jack, mentioned in the link you provided was a historically noteworthy chap
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Metcalf_(civil_engineer)
Are you John Slusar, author of these much advertised books? If so congratulations on producing such an epic work
In 3m chases the horses passed eastwards just north of this bridge and westwards south of the bridge on the return journey.
There’s an error in my directional functionality. The horses travelled west first then east on the return journey.
That has been very interesting and helpful. Please keep the comments coming if you know of others.
I know that there is still significant evidence of Selkirk racecourse, and even some features of Harrogate racecourse remain.…
Selkirk racecoruse is still in use for flapping meetings. Next one is scheduled for 16th June 2017.
The other tracks that are used are Hawick, Langholm and Irvine.
Recent article on London’s lost racecourses here…
https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/lost-racecourses-london/
Thanks for the update on Selkirk and for suggestions of other former courses in Scotland. I know that many have fond memories of Rothbury (see link below) and I am surprised, given Hexham’s continued success, that Rothbury was not also sustainable.
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Rothbury%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 I could visit?Is there any evidence left of Hurst Park? It seems so recent that it existed, but can it really be over half a century?
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Hurst%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=
Do people know of others?
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