IGHTHAM

(This racecourse is no longer in use.)

Location

Yaldham Manor, Ightham

Ightham is located between Sevenoaks and Maidstone in Kent.
Course Layout

Link to 'Multimap' aerial view of the course
move mouse cursor over aerial view to see the map underneath

The copse by fence 3/9 can be seen just above the centre point of the aerial picture.

Looking at the aerial picure the course was located in the three long fields to the north of the M26 and the two fields just above them.
History

From 1946 to 1949 the West Kent advertised their course as either Kemsing or Lower St. Clere, Kemsing. As can be seen from the multimap map (accessible via the link above ) Lower St. Clere and Yaldham Manor are adjacent to each other.

It was used by the West Kent for their racing from 1946 to 1976. The hunt had to move to another course because the government very kindly built the M26 straight through the middle of it. (as the aerial pictire shows)
Notes Runners started with their backs to what would be the last jump(s). In fact there were two jumps side by side. On the first two circuits, which were round the larger circuit of the course, the runners would jump the Open Ditch on the inside of the course. They would then jump the plain fence on the outside as the final jump on the way to the finish. Jump 2/8 took the runners from the 'top right' field as displayed on the aerial photo into the field with the copse. The 3/9 fence bought the runners out of that field into the bottom left field. On the third circuit the runners turned left before leaving the top right field and ran the line of jumps alongside the edge of middle fields. The highest point of the course was up to the right of the run into the copse making viewing of the racing reasonably good.

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