Vincent Hinde Collection

Colwall Park Racecourse

Earliest meeting: Thursday 10th May 1900
Final meeting: Thursday 25th May 1939
The Worcestershire village of Colwall is situated in the glorious countryside of the Malvern Hills which, coupled with Old Colwall and nearby Evendine, organised race meetings over almost 40 years in the earliest years of the 20th century. The racecourse, the brainchild of local resident Roland Cave-Brown-Cave, was at Brook Farm close to Colwall Railway Station and opened on Thursday 10th May 1900. Meetings continued annually on a regular basis, although Cave-Brown-Cave was not a particularly good businessman or gambler, and by 1915 was struggling financially. A grand auction was held and Brook Farm, which included the racecourse, became the property of Mr J Scott Bowden. During the War years racing ceased at almost every course in the country, but for some reason one of the exceptions was Colwall Park which was allowed to hold four meetings a year, each of them on Mondays in March, April, May and October.  One such meeting was held on Monday 12th April 1915, opening with the Stewards Handicap Hurdle which was won by Topsy’s Bay from Gentilhomme and Tambour Battant, while the British Camp Handicap Steeplechase went to Rhine-Na-Shark ridden by W.J.Smith. After the War ended Colwall Park continued to hold minor quality jump meetings and in the 1930s was so popular that it sold annual membership badges. The final meeting took place on Thursday 25th May 1939, after which the War intervened and this time Colwall Park was not allowed to hold races. During the War Mr Scott Bowden decided to sell the land on which the racecourse stood to Dowsett McKay and they decided not to continue racing. However, in 1949 pony racing meetings were held on the course, and later it was used by the North Ledbury Hunt group to stage point to point meetings between 1960 and 1963.