Purton Road, Common Platt, near Purton, Swindon SN5
Another of Wiltshire’s temporary greyhound racing venues was the one found in the parish of Common Platt. Common Platt is found near the village of Purton and is found roughly four miles west of Swindon.
The oval track was situated in a meadow just off the B4553 found at the rear of The Forrester’s Arms, or The Casa Paolo as it is known today. It was a large track with a circumference of 540 yards, which created racing distances of 375, 525 and 600 yards.
The hounds would chase a McWhirter type electric hare, but further information on the racing side still remains a mystery. It is known that operated during 1967 and 1968 and possibly longer but that evidence still remains unclear. In time the track was removed, and the field returned back to act as farm grazing land.
Presently the site of the old venue has now been recently covered by new housing constructed by Taylor Wimpey. The only possible evidence of its existence today, maybe that two roads have been named with the track in mind i.e. Meadow Course and Little Ground, both of which are off one of the main roads through the RIdgeway Farm Estate of Upper Ox Hill. Both lie just behind the Casa Paulo restaurant. Updated information courtesy of Mr G May.
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