Another of the Leicester’s greyhound racing venues was located just two miles north east of Leicester’s city centre. It was located east of Melton Road on land north of Belgrave Lodge, a large building clearly marked on 1930’s Ordnance Survey maps, although evidence of a stadium was never shown on these type of maps.
More recognised as a Speedway Racing venue it developed during 1928 and took just five weeks to construct, this timescale included the construction of the main grandstand. The venue became known as The Leicester Super Track and staged its first Dirt track meeting on the 18th of May 1929. It was hoped the venue would become popular, so too did The Fosseway Public house close by, as that was renamed The Speedway hotel. But the venture failed to establish itself and by August 1931 speedway had ceased.
Meanwhile the stadium had introduced Greyhound Racing, its first gathering which included Whippet Racing came on October 31st 1929. Greyhound Racing meetings were staged regular for the next eight years before the venue became sold to developers. Melton Road’s final meeting came on the 24th of June 1937.
During 1937 and 1938 the stadium, along Belgrave Lodge, became demolished, and prior to the declaration of The Second World War new housing began to cover the site. The war had witnessed a halt on construction, but further house building commenced during 1953, which eventually covered the rest of the site.
The site now is covered by housing on Glencore Avenue and Lockerbie Avenue, just off Melton Road and south of Troon Way on the southern side of Thurmaston. The Fosseway public house has now been totally refurbished and is now identified by the Indigo Restaurant.
(Many thanks to Mr Patrick Jackson for pinpointing the venues location)
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