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179:, the lessees of the racecourse announced the closure of the racecourse as a temporary measure. Outdated facilities and the delay of a project to build houses on part of the site were given as the reasons for the closure. It was announced that a final decision would be made in 2013. Folkestone held its last scheduled meeting on 18 December 2012.
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The racecourse was established in 1898. The first meeting took place over two days on 30 and 31 March 1898. The first day saw a six race card of three steeplechases, two hurdle races, and the opening two mile Maiden
National Hunt Flat Race Plate won by Summer Lightning. The Victoria History of Kent
191:
Council include the racecourse area for building houses in a development known as
Otterpool Garden Town. By December 2017 much of the racecourse infrastructure had fallen into disrepair and there was no prospect of any resumption of racing at the venue. A planning application for 8,500 homes was
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The racecourse was first used by aviation when a flying meeting was held in
September 1910. Three aircraft were present, watched by a large crowd. Between 1940 and 1941 the racecourse was used as a decoy airfield with dummy aircraft placed to look like an active airfield. On 23 April 1944
123:. The course remains closed and all running rail and steeplechase fences have been removed. In May 2016 it was revealed that the land covered by the racecourse forms part of a plan to develop and build housing. It is now unkempt and in a state of disrepair.
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provided free carriage for horses and their attendants to the race meetings; this led to good size fields for the races, but the lower expense for owners meant that poorer quality race horses competed. In 1907, there were five days of racing under both
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It was a right-handed undulating oval of nearly 1 mile 3 furlongs with a home straight of 2½ furlongs and a straight 6 furlongs. The inner steeplechase course of 1 mile 2 furlongs, had 7 fences. It was on this course in 1975 that
164:, the journalist and television commentator suffered serious injuries in a fall which ended his riding career. The centre of the course is farmed, and has a reservoir fed by a pumping station on the west side of the oval. The
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rescue flying boat left
Westenhanger for France. The airfield was then restored back to use as a racecourse. Rubble from wartime buildings can be seen on the north side of the straight course where it meets the oval.
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submitted to the
Council in February 2019, with a plan for a phased development over 30 years. Plans for the Otterpool garden town were approved in April 2023.
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single-engined liaison aircraft and used the racecourse to practise operations with local army units. On 12 July 1944 the squadron of 12 Austers escorted by a
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The history of the
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river runs along the western edge of the oval and under the straight course.
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327:. Vol. I. London: Archibald Constable & Company. p. 498.
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venue in southeast
England, until it closed in 2012. It is located in
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387:"Folkestone Racecourse holds 'last' horse racing meeting"
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Action
Stations Revisited, Volume 3 South East England
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139:can still be seen next to the main grandstand.
365:"Hereford and Folkestone racecourses to close"
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343:. London: Channel 4 Books. 1998. p. 81.
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340:The Channel Four Racing guide to Racecourses
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324:The Victoria History of the County of Kent;
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496:A pictorial look back at the racecourse,
482:Folkestone Racecourse (Official website)
119:and about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of
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1234:Defunct horse racing venues in England
310:– via British Newspaper Archive.
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457:. Crecy Publishing Ltd. p. 304.
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1128:National Association of Racing Staff
1086:List of British National Hunt races
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1249:2012 disestablishments in England
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1076:List of British flat horse races
100:Grandstand seen from the station
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1239:Sports venues completed in 1898
293:"Folkestone Races. - Yesterday"
1244:1898 establishments in England
428:War and Peace Revival website
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1229:Defunct sports venues in Kent
1102:British Horseracing Authority
570:Horse racing in Great Britain
389:. BBC News. 18 December 2012.
353:– via Internet Archive.
1133:Racehorse Owners Association
1123:Horserace Betting Levy Board
492:Course guide on At The Races
272:. Kent Online. 20 March 2019
302:. 31 March 1898. p. 10
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30:Folkestone Racecourse logo
199:, previously held at the
109:thoroughbred horse racing
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1187:Jockey Club Racecourses
183:Post-closure and future
487:Course guide on GG.COM
453:Lee, David W. (2010).
430:(Retrieved 6 May 2013)
321:Page, William (1908).
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1118:British Racing School
1080:British Classic Races
299:Birmingham Daily Post
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105:Folkestone Racecourse
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1164:Arena Racing Company
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244:Westenhanger Castle.
189:Folkestone and Hythe
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137:Westenhanger Castle
135:. The 14th century
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400:Mottershead, Lee.
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234:Supermarine Walrus
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274:. Retrieved
222:660 Squadron
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113:Westenhanger
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64:At The Races
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1069:Named races
882:Musselburgh
746:Epsom Downs
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498:Kent Online
413:29 December
407:Racing Post
162:Lord Oaksey
150:Jockey Club
133:King Canute
70:Course type
60:Screened on
1223:Categories
1148:Weatherbys
1095:Regulation
1045:Folkestone
997:Birmingham
957:Manchester
949:Hurst Park
918:since 1945
776:Pontefract
771:Nottingham
673:Sedgefield
638:Huntingdon
608:Cheltenham
367:. BBC News
249:References
215:Use by RAF
166:East Stour
152:rules and
121:Folkestone
19:Folkestone
1206:Racing TV
1053:Towcester
902:Southwell
892:Newcastle
872:Leicester
852:Doncaster
842:Catterick
791:Salisbury
766:Newmarket
703:Worcester
698:Wincanton
688:Uttoxeter
513:51°5′38″N
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1005:Rothbury
907:Wetherby
857:Ffos Las
847:Chepstow
837:Carlisle
751:Goodwood
731:Brighton
726:Beverley
668:Plumpton
628:Hereford
618:Fakenham
502:Archived
306:8 August
205:Beltring
201:Hop Farm
50:Owned by
36:Location
989:Bogside
981:Lincoln
925:Newport
887:Newbury
801:Windsor
741:Chester
693:Warwick
683:Taunton
603:Cartmel
593:Aintree
516:1°2′1″E
371:27 July
209:Netflix
127:History
1056:(2019)
1048:(2012)
1040:(1981)
1032:(1977)
1029:Lanark
1024:(1974)
1016:(1970)
1008:(1965)
1000:(1965)
992:(1965)
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976:(1964)
968:(1963)
960:(1963)
952:(1962)
944:(1960)
936:(1949)
928:(1948)
916:Closed
796:Thirsk
781:Redcar
648:Ludlow
633:Hexham
613:Exeter
577:Venues
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107:was a
1166:(16)
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965:Woore
827:Ascot
820:Mixed
786:Ripon
663:Perth
643:Kelso
1189:(14)
1173:and
811:York
721:Bath
713:Flat
459:ISBN
415:2017
373:2012
345:ISBN
308:2023
278:2019
175:and
74:Flat
44:Kent
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832:Ayr
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