Belle Vue By Air 1927

[Grachan]

I was fascinated by this photo. It shows Belle Vue in 1927 - just before the advent of speedway.

 

The site of the Hyde Road stadium is an athletics track in the picture. The track at the greyhound stadium looks a lot bigger then it is today, and seems to have been brought in narrower in later photos to accomodate a new road and houses.

 

I remember the houses in the bottom left of the photo. Well, sort of! The first time I went to Belle Vue (probably late 70s or early 80s) they were being demolished. The site was mainly rubble, but there was one house still standing with someone living in it who had, presumably, refused to give up their home.

 

http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw017763

 

Here's a similar angle from 1947.

 

http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw006253

[OveFundinFan]

Thanks for that Grachan.

Re the 2nd photo, bottom right was the entrance to the pits off Redgate Lane Pits was behind the stand on the 3rd/4th bend.

 

Also bottom right, the other side of Redgate Lane to the pits entrance, that land became a large car park. In the summer of 1965 I rode Cycle Speedway fpr Belle Vue Gladiatirs on that car park. Every meeting day, a Sunday, we had to work on the cycle speedway track cause the night before there were cars parked all over it.

 

Of course most of the speedway track and funfair is now a hugh British Car Auction site, with new houses where the zoo was and on the large car park referred to in previous paragraph.

[Reviresco]

Yes, great old images.

 

Can you tell me where the new stadium has been built in relation to the two other stadia in these pictures, to form the triangle of Belle Vue speedway?

[Grachan]

Yes, great old images.

 

Can you tell me where the new stadium has been built in relation to the two other stadia in these pictures, to form the triangle of Belle Vue speedway?

Pretty sure it's in the field area next to and to the right of the greyhound stadium.

[John Leslie]

 

Can you tell me where the new stadium has been built in relation to the two other stadia in these pictures, to form the triangle of Belle Vue speedway?

 

 

Pretty sure it's in the field area next to and to the right of the greyhound stadium.

 

Correct

[OveFundinFan]

That's correct. That whole are is now a Sports Village of which the new speedway stadium is just a part.

Man City football club, the National Velodrome and other sports are only about 1.5 miles away. Manchester City Council have invested in a large and varied sports area to generate interest/income in Manchester.

3 miles away in the city itself you have the Manchester Arena holding about 20,000, loads of hotels and shops, then on the other side of the city you have Old Trafford for cricket and that other football club...eer United, plus more shopping areas and hotels.