DARTFORD

Oakfield Park, Dartford

For non-local residents, it is sometimes suggested that when the town of Dartford is mentioned, our thoughts are immediately triggered towards the Dartford crossing, a huge structure spanning the River Thames, which links the M25 Orbital motorway roughly twenty miles east of London city centre.

The town of Dartford itself lies within the boundaries of the orbital motorway, although the A282 which links the M25 together in that area is roughly one mile to the east of the town. It is common knowledge that Dartford is classed as a town in the county of Kent, but due to its location found within the boundaries of the M25, the venue has been classed as London venue due to the website’s border cut off point.

It is researching through old archive newspaper that reports confirm that greyhound racing once took place in the Borough of Dartford during the early 1930’s. Further investigation finds that the sport took place at a location closer to the village of Wilmington located about a mile south of Dartford.

The location was known as Oakfield Park, a vast sportsfield which was home to a cricket pitch, tennis courts and also adaptable to host other sports. This venue presently still exists, and lies adjacent to the A2, and is clearly visible to the north of the busy link road.

Unfortunately, the exact positioning of the track remains unsolved, even structures at the venue and how it operated still remains a mystery. A press cutting printed in the Daily Mirror of June 1930 suggests the venue would be ready to stage events at the end of August 1930.

No official opening date has yet been found, although further press cuttings suggest that events were still taking place during the latter end of 1934.