Preston Park Velodrome
The velodrome Preston Park was in 1877 Brighton built. Not only is it the oldest surviving velodrome in the UK , it is believed to be in the world. It is in the northwest corner of Preston Park .
The Preston Park open cycling track was excavated and laid out by hand by soldiers of the British Army in 1877 . The first races took place the following year, and competitions were held annually until the First World War . The track is 579 meters long, making it the longest track in the United Kingdom, and has a special structural feature: while velodrome tracks are usually oval-shaped and have two long straights and two short ones with sharp curves, the Preston Park track is almost like a square with four equally long sides.
When the railway reopened after the war, its surface was covered with ash. If drivers fell, they had to be carried to the club house, where the ashes were removed with hot water and brushes. In 1936 the ashes were exchanged for asphalt and two curves were raised for safety reasons. In the 1950s, the races on Bank Holidays drew up to 10,000 spectators. Many cycling stars, including five-time world champion in sprint , Reg Harris , and the four-time Sprint champion Arie van Vliet , started on the cycling track. Record driver Tessie Reynolds trained there in the 1890s, and Irish champion Felix English , who comes from Brighton , in recent years .
From the 1970s the popularity of the velodrome declined until the new Sussex Cycle Racing League was formed in 2000 , which has held races every Wednesday from April to August and does intensive youth work.
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Coordinates: 50 ° 50 ′ 34.9 ″ N , 0 ° 8 ′ 50.6 ″ W.