UK’s oldest velodrome in Brighton recovers after closure

It might be a wonky shape, outdoors and made of tarmac but a velodrome in East Sussex is the oldest in the UK, according to British Cycling.

Preston Park Velodrome in Brighton was dug out by hand by the British Army and opened for competition in 1877.

But competitive racing stopped in 2014 after the track was declared unsafe, resuming two years later after safety improvements.

Anthony Rogers, cyclist and author, said the track was “both unusual and unique”.

The velodrome in Brighton is one of just a few to not be oval-shaped, instead comprising of the rather unusual four straights and two slightly banked corners.

Mr Rogers said: “Unlike velodromes we see in the Olympics, this one has almost no banking.

“It is flat all the way around.

“As tracks go it is pretty rough. It is tarmac and outdoors.

“Most tracks are now built indoors with 250m of Siberian pine.”

As well as being the oldest track in the country, Preston Park claims to also be the longest, at 579m (1900 ft).

Mr Rogers said: “It is the only track in the country where you go uphill along the back straight and then downhill.

“People who come here to compete from other parts of the country are quite taken aback and can’t believe it’s still here in this form.”

Between 3,000 and 5,000 spectators were a regular occurrence up until the mid-1950s.

Mr Rogers said: “In its heyday there would probably be big crowds here, probably bigger than to watch nearby Brighton & Hove Albion.”

The velodrome boasts a cricket pitch on the grass in its centre.

It is tucked away beneath Victorian flint walls.

Mr Rogers said: “One of the beauties of it is that it is hidden.

“It’s a pleasant place to picnic, to relax and to ride.”