Beacon Park (Plymouth)
 Albion Drive | |
 | |
| Location | Beacon Park Road, north Plymouth |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°23′44″N 4°09′16″W / 50.39556°N 4.15444°W |
| Capacity | 3,500 |
| Opened | 1920 |
| Closed | 2003 |
Beacon Park (Plymouth) is the site of a former rugby union stadium on the north side of Beacon Park Road in north Plymouth.[1] The site has been redeveloped into housing called Albion Drive.[2]
Rugby Union
[edit]When Devonport Albion merged with Plymouth RFC to become Plymouth Albion R.F.C. they moved into Beacon Park in 1920.[3]
Greyhound racing
[edit]Greyhound racing started on the 5 May 1928 with racing over 525 yards behind a trackless hare.[4] The greyhound racing was independent (unaffiliated to a governing body) and whippet racing was also prominent.[5] New management took over during September 1929 and racing sometimes took place twice on one day at 3pm & 5pm.
Racing came to an end on 4 July 1931[6] after plans to transfer the greyhoud racing to a new site in Lipson Vale were put in motion. The new site known as Castle Field would adopt the name Beacon Castle.[7]
Closure
[edit]Plymouth Albion moved out in 2003 and the stadium was sold and redeveloped into a housing estate called Barlow Gardens.[8]
The nearby Albion Drive occupies the site of the former Beacon Park reservoir, which was demolished and built on around 2001.
References
[edit]- ^ "OS County Series Devon 1933". old-maps.co.uk.
- ^ "History of Plymouth Albion RFC". Plymouth Albion. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "Rugby". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. 13 September 1920. Retrieved 18 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Trackless Hare at Plymouth". Western Morning News. 7 May 1928. Retrieved 18 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Beacon Park, Tuesday 29 May". The Western Morning News and Mercury. 1928.
- ^ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. p. 420. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
- ^ "Beacon Park Management's New track". Western Morning News. 11 July 1931. Retrieved 18 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "History of Plymouth Albion RFC". Plymouth Albion. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.