Buckfastleigh Race Course, Dean Prior, Devon - August 24, 1985
Buckfastleigh Racecourse (June 21, 1883 – August 27, 1960) was a British horse racing venue.
Horse racing was first recorded at Buckfastleigh in the mid 1850s, on a course on Wallaford Down. In 1883, the town's race meeting was relocated just outside Buckfastleigh to a place called Dean Court on the Dean Marshes at Dean Prior close to the A38 between Plymouth and Exeter. The first race meeting was held at this new location on June 21, 1883 and continued unbroken for over 75 years, until the final race took place on 27 August 1960.
It appeared that a change in ownership of the land led to the closure of the course as ist operating licence was not transferred as there was a desire to reduce the number of horse racing venues at the time.
Occasionally “point to point” meetings are still held on the course but the grand stand which has decayed further since these photographs were taken is abandoned and on the verge of collapse!
