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Summary

Numerous structures, vegetation marks and earthworks of a rectilinear bank associated with the mid-20th century Buckfastleigh racecourse are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946 and 1948. A grandstand had been added by 1965. Two structures, including the grandstand, are shown on modern mapping of 2020.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76SW/96

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RACECOURSE (Mid 20th Century - 1933 AD (Between) to 1966 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV1142.

Vis=20/5/1981 (timms) site of buckfastleigh racecourse (discontinued national hunt racing in early 1960's). Two racecourse buildings remain, both clad in corrugated iron. A large grandstand with steward's box on top (aligned north-south approx. ) and a single storey range (running east-west approx. ) which was weighing room etc. Also a stable block further north (worksheet).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV162266.

Des=worksheet.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV162267.

Des=griffith, f. M. /as above (2/3/1998).

Griffith, F. M., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV8774.

A race meeting was held here again in february 1998 (fmg).

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223 Vp2 5161-5162 12-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352279.

Numerous structures, vegetation marks and earthworks of an earthwork bank are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2494, RAF/CPE/UK/2494 RP 3106-3108 11-MAR-1948 (Aerial Photograph). SDV361461.

Structures are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1965, RAF/58/7109, RAF/58/7109 F44 83 22-NOV-1965 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351186.

An additional structure is visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1995, OS/95080, OS/95080 V190 12-APR-1995 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352110.

Two structures are extant.

Essex, S. + Brayshay, M., 2018, Devon Tourism: The Story of the County's Economic Leviathan (Article in Serial). SDV366091.

The race course on the Dean Marshes, which was established by 1883, replaced Buckfastleigh’s earlier racecourse at Wallford Down, which appears to date to the mid=1850s.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Numerous structures, vegetation marks and earthworks of a rectilinear banked enclosure are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946 and 1948. The course of racecourse is partly visible as an area of worn vegetation, circa 15m wide, which encloses a curvilinear area of circa 20 hectares and breaches numerous field boundaries. Six narrow rectangular features positioned across the track are interpreted as probable jumps. Numerous structures located within a rectilinear banked enclosure, circa 140m long by 37m wide, of the spectator’s area are visible off the southeast edge of the track. Aerial photographs taken in 1965 show that an additional structure of a grandstand within this area has been constructed, although several of the other structures visible in the 1940s had been demolished by this time. Aerial photographs taken in 1995 show that all features associated with the racecourse, except for two structures (including the grandstand) have been cleared. These two structures are depicted on the 2020 Ordnance Survey MasterMap, with the grandstand labelled as ‘Ruin’.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

Two structures are shown in this location, with the southern of the two labelled as ‘Ruin’.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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