Professional Speedway locations closed post 2000 – what does each site look like from above in 2024?

Each Speedway location which has seen professional racing but has closed since 2000, seen from above using Google Earth data. There are 19 locations, use the chapters to just see your track of interest.

If you want to see the video on the Rise and Decline of UK Speedway, use this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxigxPoccz0

CHAPTERS
——————
00:00 – Introduction
00:27 – Trelawny
00:50 – Exeter
01:21 – Hull
01:45 – Reading
02:14 – Isle of Wight
02:37 – Mildenhall
03:01 – Stoke
03:24 – Newport
03:54 – Coventry
04:26 – Rye House
05:10 – Workington
05:47 – Lakeside / Arena Essex
06:13 – Swindon
06:42 – Somerset
07:07 – Eastbourne
07:36 – Kent
08:07 – Newcastle
08:35 – Peterborough
09:05 – Wolverhampton

Credits
————
Google Earth

Thanks for the numerous sites where I obtained brief still images of the Speedway locations

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in this video I thought it’d be interesting to take a look from above at the locations where professional Speedway took place but has now stopped post the year 2000 as well as a short history of each location I show Google Earth images as seen in 2024 you may be interested to see a previous video about the rise and decline of Speedway in the UK I’ve included the link in the description [Music] trone was formed in 2001 racing in the second tier leag after the 2003 season the team disbanded with the site being returned to China clay [Music] extraction exitor raced at the county ground Stadium from 1947 to 20 5 the site also being used for Rugby Union it was a unique site with the use of a sheet metal safety fence for much of the track and must have been scary for the Riders the stadium owners who were the rugby club sold the site to be redeveloped for housing but they moved to a new stadium without [Music] Speedway Hull raced at CRA even parked from 1995 to 2005 but folded due to financial issues the stadium was refurbished for whole Kingston Rovers to use in the Super League removing the threeway [Music] track reading raced at small we Stadium from 1975 to 2008 having previously raced at a different stadium in the town from 196 8 the local Council refused to extend the tracks lease citing Redevelopment plans but as you can see post demolition the land remains largely vacant and is only used for [Music] parking Isa white raced at the smallbrook stadium from 1997 but stopped professional racing at the end of 2008 initially moving down to the third tier League am Speedway still happens at the stadium but now under Norah rather than [Music] bspa milen Hall raced at the milen hall Stadium from 1975 to 1989 and then again briefly from 2006 to 2008 before dropping back to the amateur third tier where they are still racing although not in [Music] 2024 Stoke raced at Luma Road since 1973 apart from a couple of years until 2010 when due to financial issues they dropped to the amateur third tier until 2019 when the stadium was sold off to an industrial estate developer [Music] Newport raced at the Haley Stadium from 1997 to 2011 apart from one year when the promoter had died however financial difficulties from folding Gates led to the club folding and soon after the stadium was victim of an AR attack and was subsequently demolished and redeveloped [Music] centry raced at brandom Stadium from the origins of UK Speedway in 1928 through to 2016 when the site owners decided to apply for planning permission to build housing which has been refused despite several applications although there is an active campaign to bring back Speedway due to vandalism and Arsen that has occurred this will be expensive even if the site owners allow it [Music] speed wear has occurred at the Rouse Stadium since it was built in 1934 with periods of inactivity more recently racing started again during the Heyday of the sport in 1974 but funding issues in the ’90s meant no racing until 2002 when they joined the second tier League it continued until Midway through the 2018 season where Financial issues led to closure PL have been submitted to redevelop the site which has been refused but the owners have apparently removed the track and built an extension without planning [Music] permission workington raced at dwin Park from 1970 through to 2018 with a gap from the 80s through to 1999 they withdrew from the second tier League before the start of the 2019 season for financial reasons but in a rare piece of positive news in 2022 the north side training track in the town was redeveloped for League racing firstly in the amateur development league and eventually in the second tier professional league for [Music] 2024 there was professional Speedway racing the arena Ric Raceway from 1984 through to 2018 when the site was sold for housing Redevelopment some demolition started in 2020 but the site has been sold again in July 2023 to Google so we may well see a data center [Music] there Swindon raced at the Abbey Stadium from 1949 through to 2019 but part of the site was redeveloped for housing there have been issues between the council and the developers which has meant that the stadium is still used for greyhound racing only there are efforts to restart Speedway in the town but not it seems at the Abbey [Music] Stadium Somerset oak tree arena is a relatively recent Speedway location with racing starting in the year 2000 a professional team raced from 2002 until 20 19 but the owners sold the site having suffered financial hardship during the [Music] pandemic eastborne raced at Arlington Stadium from 1929 and continued almost continuously until 2014 when they dropped to the amateur third tier League they returned to the second tier in 2019 but in 2021 they withdrew from the league due to financial issues stock car racing still occurs at the site but there seems a slim chance of Speedway [Music] returning Kent raced at Central Park Stadium from 2013 in the amateur third tier league but did field a professional team in 2021 so qualify for this video in 2022 they moved to iwade and returned to the third tier amateur League subsequently they have withdrawn from this and race under Norah rather than [Music] bspa Newcastle has a long history with racing starting in 1929 at the stadium a professional team existed for most years until 2022 when they withdrew from the second tier League partway through the year citing poor spectator numbers leading to financial issues the stadium is still used for greyhound [Music] racing Peter bar raced professionally at the east of England’s showr from 1970 to 2023 but the site owners wanted to redevelop for a new Housing Development although planning has not yet been confirmed the site owners have carried out some demolition work including seats from the stand being removed but there is a lot of opposition to the planning in a similar vein to that at [Music] cantry wolver Hampton raced at monmore Green since 1928 pretty much continuously until the end of the 2023 season with the stadium owners wanting to focus entirely on greyhound racing which is a Twist on the usual sight to be redeveloped story with a supportive Council a new site is being searched for [Music]