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Old Maps - Speedway Track Spotting


Deano

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8 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Certainly do...can you guide me how one formulates the required maps?

It can actually take a lot of work...

The first thing to do is Google the track, and you may find an  article that states exact location.

Then, you can either go to the maps website stated (some on here may know some shortcuts), and look from there, or (as I do first) check on Google Earth to see if I can find a pic.

The problem is that with tracks that were only short-lived, you have to find something from that era...

Regarding Sandford, this is what I have just found, and now I'm looking for maps and pics::

'Apparently the track was at he end of the village on the left of the old road to Nuneham Courtenay about at the end of the mobile home park."

Edited by chunky
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24 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

A tall order but the location of the Sandford-on-Thames (Grass)track would be great?

I don’t think grasstracks are mapped. Sandford on Thames is if you know it’s position in relation to the town.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.475634332977158&lat=51.71068&lon=-1.22909&layers=193&b=1

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1 minute ago, Deano said:

I don’t think grasstracks are mapped. Sandford on Thames is if you know it’s position in relation to the town.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.475634332977158&lat=51.71068&lon=-1.22909&layers=193&b=1

This is from 1945. The quality isn't great - obviously - but judging by the information given, this would be about the location. You can see the outline of what could be a track...

sandford.jpg

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4 minutes ago, chunky said:

This is from 1945. The quality isn't great - obviously - but judging by the information given, this would be about the location. You can see the outline of what could be a track...

sandford.jpg

That looks approximately where the “H” is of Thames ( the larger in capitals) on my link.

Edited by Deano
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Poolstock Stadium, Wigan.   1947 and 1960  https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=53.53850&lon=-2.64031&layers=193&b=1

Woodhouse Lane, Wigan  1952-53    https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=53.55568&lon=-2.65597&layers=10&b=1

Edited by PotteringAround
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On 11/13/2021 at 1:19 PM, chunky said:

I've also seen it stated that it was on wasteland behind a cemetery, so I wonder if it was down by the crematorium?

Many years ago I was told that the Chiswick training track was on waste ground on the south side of the river, off Mortlake Road and close to Mortlake Cemetery.  Described by a rider who trained there as being 'more like the size of a cycle speedway track' - he never said it was a cycle speedway track.  In fact, the training track was about twice the size of a cycle speedway track.  From the details I was given it seemed that the training track was on the land now occupied by Townmead Recycling Centre in Townmead Road.  Chiswick Comets had a cycle speedway track at Riversdale Drive, on the north side of the river, from 1951 to 1956.

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16 minutes ago, BL65 said:

Many years ago I was told that the Chiswick training track was on waste ground on the south side of the river, off Mortlake Road and close to Mortlake Cemetery.  Described by a rider who trained there as being 'more like the size of a cycle speedway track' - he never said it was a cycle speedway track.  In fact, the training track was about twice the size of a cycle speedway track.  From the details I was given it seemed that the training track was on the land now occupied by Townmead Recycling Centre in Townmead Road.  Chiswick Comets had a cycle speedway track at Riversdale Drive, on the north side of the river, from 1951 to 1956.

That is pretty much where I figured it would be; thanks!

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18 hours ago, Deano said:

That looks approximately where the “H” is of Thames ( the larger in capitals) on my link.

Just down the road from where I used to live! Spencer Timmo's Car Sales nearby also.

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This is one of the craziest and not too far away. Look how they built the houses !!!

The old Farmsen Trabrennbahn, which was a horse trotting track used for Sand track racing 

 https://www.google.de/maps/search/barmbek+1948/@53.5949073,10.1015393,568m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=de

https://www.speedway-yesterday.de/html/body_rider-3.html

Edited by iris123
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4 hours ago, BL65 said:

Many years ago I was told that the Chiswick training track was on waste ground on the south side of the river, off Mortlake Road and close to Mortlake Cemetery.  Described by a rider who trained there as being 'more like the size of a cycle speedway track' - he never said it was a cycle speedway track.  In fact, the training track was about twice the size of a cycle speedway track.  From the details I was given it seemed that the training track was on the land now occupied by Townmead Recycling Centre in Townmead Road.  Chiswick Comets had a cycle speedway track at Riversdale Drive, on the north side of the river, from 1951 to 1956.

Thanks so much for this information. My late father Roy Pickering was captain of the Chiswick Nomads at one stage.

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On 11/13/2021 at 5:08 PM, iris123 said:

No. I even looked on a local history f Chiswick site and found nothing. I guess the park might make sense for the Chiswick cycle Speedway team. It is in Chiswick at least. But that doesn't rule out another cycle speedway track on the other side of the river.The one photo f the speedway team looks as if it was taken by Chiswick Bridge, but that might have been for publicity, rather than where the track was......

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.253038065143457&lat=51.47420&lon=-0.27421&layers=193&b=1
 

I’m going to wager, it’s just north of the boathouses.

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2 minutes ago, Deano said:

That looks pretty much where the team pic was taken. I wonderedif it was just for publicity to get the bridge in the background. I did look there from google earth or whatever in the hope that the tree in the photo was still there.

I'd guess that is right

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