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Southam Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16

The Oxfordshire town of Banbury becomes host to another Greyhound Racing venue that lasted for just a brief spell only. Construction of the Banbury Greyhound Track began during the summer of 1951 on grazing land owned by the British Nylon Spinners situated roughly one mile north of Banbury town centre on the east side of Southam Road.

The track was primitive indeed with nothing more than small shelters, a refreshment hut and judge’s box, yet it must have had track lights as evening meetings were staged during March the following year.

Its opening meeting was staged on August 6th 1951, although during winter months it did close down. Information on how races were run remain a mystery, but it is presumed that the land it was built on was poorly drained.

Sadly, The Banbury greyhound track existed for just three years only, as greyhound racing had come to a halt by the end of Autumn 1954. Its closure was down to it being lost to town planners who had plans to construct a Switch Gear engineering works on the site.

Applications were made to transfer the sport to another site just off Middleton Road in Banbury, but that was soon rejected. Today the site of the old track is covered by an industrial estate, roughly were the B & Q store lies between Marley Way and Pipeline, just east of the A361 Southam Road.

This local press cutting is dated July 1951.
Newspaper cutting dated August 8th 1951.
This Greyhound Owner cutting is dated July 1952.
The press announces the end of Greyhound Racing in Banbury during December 1954.