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Grachan

Swindon Autodrome

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Ok, this is hardly a sensational picture, but it's the closest I've found so far to a photo of the original Swindon track in Gorse Hill.

 

It's a Britain from Above picture of Swindon from 1934, with the side of the Autodrome -(which had already closed) tagged in a pixelly area near the top of the photo.

 

You can see that it is very much out of the town at the time and there is a faint possibility of a bend being visible.

 

Anyone got any proper photos of this track at all? This may not be a great picture of it, but it still fascinated me so I thought it worth sharing!

 

 

https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw059049

Edited by grachan

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Ok, this is hardly a sensational picture, but it's the closest I've found so far to a photo of the original Swindon track in Gorse Hill.

 

It's a Britain from Above picture of Swindon from 1934, with the side of the Autodrome -(which had already closed) tagged in a pixelly area near the top of the photo.

 

You can see that it is very much out of the town at the time and there is a faint possibility of a bend being visible.

 

Anyone got any proper photos of this track at all? This may not be a great picture of it, but it still fascinated me so I thought it worth sharing!

 

 

https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw059049

I think there was a picture of Gorse Hill taken the surface was black cinders.And ii believe you could turn left at the Arkells brewery Kingsdown and it was on the land where the Duke of Edinburgh pub is now in Gorse Hill.

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It was behind the pub where Tiverton Road is. I'd always assumed it roughly followed the shape of the road as it is now but from this picture I'd say it was at 90 degrees to the pub.

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It was behind the pub where Tiverton Road is. I'd always assumed it roughly followed the shape of the road as it is now but from this picture I'd say it was at 90 degrees to the pub.

There might be a picture in the superb Robert Bamford the history of Swindon Speedway book.? I have it somewhere i will try to dig it out and have a look.

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There might be a picture in the superb Robert Bamford the history of Swindon Speedway book.? I have it somewhere i will try to dig it out and have a look.

I have that book. There isn't.

 

Best bet would probably to go to the library and look through old Advers from the time.

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Having researched all the 1928 - 30 Adver's held by the Local Studies Dept. at Swindon Central Library - I can confirm there are no images of the Autodrome. All the 1928 meetings are reported, although not all of the riders are named.

 

I don't know if there were any meeting in 1929, if there were, the Adver didn't cover them.

 

The Adver covered a couple of meetings in 1930, when a new promotion took over. The Autodrome was renamed the 'Swindon Speedway Stadium' that year. Again, if there were any other meetings at the track in 1930, then the Adver didn't report on them.

 

I don't know if there were any pics printed in the 'Borough Press' - a Swindon sports paper that ran from 1903 to 1936, but it's possible, as Leslie Newman, who's Father Thomas owned the paper, raced in the first meeting at the Autodrome. (he also raced in local grass tracks and hill climbs, and competed in the 1934, 35, 36 and 37 Isle of Man Senior GPs).

Unfortunately I've only ever seen one copy of the Borough Press, a 1927 edition, so it was too early to cover the Autodrome.

 

There must be some images of the place somewhere.

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Wasn't there a pub called the Cold harbour nearby??

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Wasn't there a pub called the Cold harbour nearby??

Thought that was near the Abbey Stadium.

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Sotonian, you are correct. It is just across the road, that is of course if you can navigate the Blunsdon bypass

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Blimey- I know where the Cold Harbour is-I thought the Swindon Autodrome might have been a new name for the Abbey Stadium-do the Robins still race at Abbey-which I fondly recall visiting (good crowds there) in 65 thru 68??

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Blimey- I know where the Cold Harbour is-I thought the Swindon Autodrome might have been a new name for the Abbey Stadium-do the Robins still race at Abbey-which I fondly recall visiting (good crowds there) in 65 thru 68??

Still there at the moment. Not for long though as it due to be redeveloped for housing.

 

A new stadium is supposed to be getting built adjacent to the existing one.

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A 1928 Swindon Autodrome program sold today at Barber's auction, £520 hammer price.

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23 minutes ago, JOS50 said:

A 1928 Swindon Autodrome program sold today at Barber's auction, £520 hammer price.

Not surprising at all......

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49 minutes ago, andout said:

Not surprising at all......

That would be a normal price for a pristine example ? Or even a bit manky/filled in ?

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3 hours ago, iris123 said:

That would be a normal price for a pristine example ? Or even a bit manky/filled in ?

They are very rare....so any condition would qualify......still the record price paid is £5000 for the first High Beech...the second is just over a £1000 paid for a Celtic Park.....at least my memory tells me that. Oh yes the High Beech needed restoration!

Edited by andout
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