Jump to content

Lonsdale Park

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lonsdale Park
West Cumberland Stadium
Map
LocationBlack Path, Workington, Cumberland
Coordinates54°38′52″N 3°32′55″W / 54.64778°N 3.54861°W / 54.64778; -3.54861
Openedpre 1900
Closed1999

Lonsdale Park also known as West Cumberland Stadium was a stadium, now demolished, used for greyhound racing, football and for motorcycle racing in Workington, Cumberland.

Origins

[edit]

Lonsdale Park was constructed as a football ground in an area known as Cloffocks on the south bank of the River Derwent and on the north side of Black Path.[1] It was used Workington A.F.C. until they moved to their new Borough Park ground built next door on the west side of Lonsdale Park.

Greyhound racing

[edit]

Racing began in 1933 but came under new management in 1942.[2] The racing was independent (unaffiliated to a governing body).

In the 1960s racing was on Monday and Saturday nights at 7.00pm over distances of 320 and 500 yards. The track circumference was a large 440 yards and an 'Inside Sumner' hare system was used. The principal race was the Workington Derby and amenities included a members club and snack bar.[2]

By the late 1980s the distances were 320, 530 and 760 yards, there were kennels on site for 50 greyhounds and a car park for 200 vehicles. Facilities included three bars and a covered stand.[3]

Speedway

[edit]

Speedway took place at the stadium 1931-1932 and again from 1937-1938.[4]

Closure

[edit]

The greyhound racing ended in 1999 when Cumbrian engineer Ernie Little pulled out of the track, having spent £38,000 in just two years in an attempt to keep the venue going. His wife Jan would apply for a trainer's license elsewhere.[5] The site was later demolished.

Future

[edit]

On 30 October 2018, the former Lonsdale Park site was sold to Allerdale Borough Council for £210,000.[6] The council acquired the site to build the proposed new Workington Community Stadium.[7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "OS County Series Cumberland 1925". old-maps.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b Furby, R (1968). Independent Greyhound Racing. New Dominion House.
  3. ^ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. p. 309. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
  4. ^ "Workington Speedway". Defunct Speedway Tracks. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  5. ^ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1999) February edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.
  6. ^ Title Number CU173622, HM Land Registry
  7. ^ "Vision for new multi-million pound sports stadium for Workington unveiled". News and Star. 12 October 2018. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy