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Realise this is probably an often asked question but what constitutes a “Park” course such as Sandown Park, Kempton Park, Fontwell Park, etc? I was told years ago that it was something to do with the track being fully enclosed or something, but isn’t that the case with the majority of racecourses?
I always just took it to be any track with conventional fences – all of them bar Aintree’s National course
I thought that it used to be a park course if you parked yourself in the best bar you could see all you needed to see, and meet everyone who mattered, without moving moving out of the bar. Did not the relocation of the best bar at Hurst Park, Keele Park, Northolt Park and Alexandra Park cause their downfall?
I believe Park courses came about when racecourses became enclosed specifically for racing rather than being on open common or public land. From memory of reading about I think there was a development of park courses during the 19th century.
I always just took it to be any track with conventional fences – all of them bar Aintree’s National course and X-country.
That’s my reading of “park”‘s current meaning too, Joe.
Value Is EverythingGT
In terms of modern terminology you are right, that’s what’s been adopted to describe regulation steeplechase fences.
Cheltenham moved the term slightly more sideways for a few seasons by using the ‘Park Course’ in the autumn, which utilised the 2m 4f race chute as part of an ‘inner course’.
That said the ‘Park’ suffix on racecourse names definitely signifies an enclosed course. Sandown Park was ‘Opened in 1875, this was the first racecourse to be completely enclosed’ (source – Victorian web).
Rob
Interesting to know where the term came from, Rob; bit of history. Didn’t know that – makes sense.
Value Is EverythingAs I understand it , all courses used to be open with only limited enclosures and stands.
When fully enclosed courses were launched they were “park” courses.
I think that Sandown was the first when it opened around 1875.In the Victorian era and before, the term ‘park’ was used to describe the enclosed area of cultivated land surrounding a country house, and separate from the ‘common’ or unenclosed land outside.
You can still see evidence of the walls that enclosed such a country estate at places like Woburn or Longleat.
Racecourses before Sandown had fenced areas around a grandstand that required payment for admission, but they all had common land as well, where punters could gather for free. E.g. the Hill at Epsom, Ascot Heath, Newmarket Heath. When the first owner of Sandown opted to fence the entire area and eliminate free entry, he adopted the name Park as part of the attempt to sell Sandown as an up market venue.
Sandown Park was the first course in the country to have a separate Ladies Stand, and the first to vet the credentials of potential members.
Middle English: from Old French parc, from medieval Latin parricus, of Germanic origin; related to German Pferch ‘pen, fold’, also to paddock. The word was originally a legal term designating land held by royal grant for keeping game animals: this was enclosed and therefore distinct from a forest or chase, and (also unlike a forest) had no special laws or officers. A military sense ‘space occupied by artillery, wagons, stores, etc., in an encampment’ (late 17th century) is the origin of the verb sense ‘to park’ (mid 19th century) and of park (sense 2 of the noun) ‘industrial park’ (early 20th century)
This article on Deer Parks is interesting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_park_(England)
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