Wye Racecourse
Sean Ayling
Captain Oatflake
"Sean Ayling" <sean@nospam_ezywriter.co.uk> wrote in message news:uq3ij82...@corp.supernews.com...
Captain Oatflake
John L
> I was on my way to a cricket match in Brook near Wye
> the other week and as I was driving I noticed a picture of
> a Crown cut into the chalky hills of the north downs. I asked
> my passenger how long it had been there and he told me it was
> done to celebrate a visit to Wye Racecourse by Queen Victoria.
> This led to much discussion about when Wye closed and why.
According to A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt (published by
Portway Press so presumably available from Timeform) pages 412-421:
It was a very tight Jumps course which closed in 1974 because
neither the owners nor the Levy Board were prepared to pay
the £40,000 to camber one of the bends as required by
the Jockey Club's Inspector of Courses,
John.
Count Bertrand
John L <j...@lammtarra.fslife.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ant19k$bj6$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
For anybody who is interested in the history of racing I would recommend
Chris Pitt's book. It's superbly researched and a great read, also has some
fine pictures of defunct racecourses.
I remember passing the site of Wye racecourse on the train a while back, but
there doesn't seem to be any sign of it these days.
As an aside, I used the book in visiting the site of some ex-racecourses in
the Midlands. I went to Moreton-in-Marsh (now cornfields), Banbury (more
cornfields!!), Rugby Hunt ( Clifton-on-Dunsmore, still used as a
point-to-point course) and Northampton (now a popular park and still known
as The Racecourse).
The Count
Peter Corbally
"The Goodwood of the North" in mid-19th century.
It was the course which occasioned the duel between Squire Osbaldeston and
Lord George Bentinck. Osbaldeston brought over an Irish ringer, ran it badly
a few times then Bentinck laid it at 40-1 for the big handicap at Heaton
Park. Osbaldeston's connections lumped on. It trotted up of course. Bentinck
refused to pay out and the duel ensued. I expect the JC investigated the
case !
The local heritage group have walked the course with a colourful commentary
being given and there was some talk of an archaeological dig on the main
area.
More recently it was the site of the park and ride scheme for the
Commonwealth Games. A pub overlooking the old course called the Turf Tavern
is the only reminder.
Count Bertrand
Peter Corbally <peter.c...@nospam.btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:RCxo9.1$ld2...@newsfep3-gui.server.ntli.net...
The book covers courses that closed from 1900 onwards, though does have a
list of courses used before that date. Covering courses before that would
have been an even bigger task than the one that Chris Pitt took on, which
was tough enough!
I don't think the old Carlisle course was covered, but it was near the city
centre and the old grandstand is now a pub(which I visited a few years ago),
and the line of the course is reasonably clear, the land now being used as a
golf course.
The Count