Alexandra Park closed in 1970
Blackpool Clifton Park closed in 1915 
Bournemouth closed in 1928
Buckfastleigh closed in 1960
Galleywood Chelmsford closed in 1935
Hurst park closed in 1962
Lewes closed in 1964
Manchester Castle Irwell closed in 1963
Northampton closed in 1904
Thanks for reminding us of the old Galleywood Racecourse, the rails of which survive. Also the name of Admiral Rous, in a nearby road on an executive estate built in the late 70s called Galleywood Padedocks,(named in turn after a former PH of that name.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Memoirs of Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny, Bart,** we read
"In its palmy days though, Galleywood had
amongst its patrons some very prominent sports-
men, such as Admiral Rous, General Wood*,
Caledon Alexander, and Prince Soltykoff***, of
whom, alas ! the last-named is alone left to us.
*General Sir Evelyn Wood, after whom another PH in Chelmsford is named.
** Polo player, AdC Viceroy of India,committed suicide, 1910
*** Prince Dimitry Soltykoff d.1903, aged 74, prominent Jockey Club member, whose horse Lucetta, won the Cambridgeshire in 1880
**** Captain Caledon du Pre Alexander,MCC, Jockey Club, d 1884, aged 67.
More about the Galleywood racecourse on this BBC Essex page.Galloping Galleywood
Yes Felix I’ve seen a photo of the surviving rails in the book “Long Time Gone” by Chris Pitt. There’s a photo of Galleywood races that I particularly like just a pity it’s not a bit bigger, it’s one of a hurdle race in 1928 and the horses are crossing a road I’m sure you'll know, well and the pub maybe too… it says the horses are crossing the Margaretting Road in front of the Eagle Inn – it’s here in a pdf -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/media/pdf/a/4/Galleywood_1.pdf
Reading from the link about Claude Champion de Crespigny and the fact he committed suicide does make me think of Fred Archer as it says that the physician and coroner concluded that "a temporary madness may have been caused by influenza and repeated heavy falls whilst playing polo" Archer shot himself in similar circumstances in that he was suffering fever at the time and seemed to be delirious or as they put it at that time this "unhinged his mind". Also you mentioned the Admiral Rous PH, in the above pdf it says that the landlord of the Admiral Rous Inn murdered his wife there in 1899!