Great Leighs Racecourse - WikiHorseWorld Horse Articles Great Leighs Racecourse Flat Great Leighs Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Great Leighs near Chelmsford, Essex, England. When it opened in April 2008 it was the first completely new racecourse in the UK since Taunton opened in 1927. It went into administration the following January, and it is not clear when or if racing will resume. Great Leighs was developed and owned by entrepreneur John Holmes and his son, Jonathan. It aims to exploit the largest unserved area in British horseracing. Overall there is slightly more than one racecourse per million people in Great Britain, but there is no racecourse in Essex (population >1.6 million) or in east London (formerly part of Essex and with a population >1.5 million) or in the neighbouring county of Hertfordshire (population >1 million). However the course is only 50 miles from Newmarket , the largest racehorse training centre in Britain. The course is laid out as an eight-and-a-half furlong left-handed Polytrack oval, with a two-furlong home straight.

The 10,000-capacity grandstand was used at the 2006 Ryder Cup. Contents 5 External links Opening Great Leighs was originally scheduled to open in October 2006, but the opening was deferred several times. On 20 March 2008 the racecourse announced that the opening fixture would be postponed to 20 April 2008 with the original opening date, 4 April 2008, being used a test day. [1] On 20 April 2008 the racecourse finally staged its first race meeting, with the opening race being won by Temple of Thebes. The meeting was attended by an invited audience only and the first meeting with full public admission took place on 28 May 2008. [2] The venue attracted some praise for some of its racing facilities, and considerable criticism for the incomplete state of its visitor facilities. Attendances did not meet expectations. 2009 administration The course was placed into administration and its temporary racing licence revoked on 16 January 2009.

[3] In March 2009 the administrators announced that the two parties that had made bids for the course had failed to demonstrate that they had sufficient financial backing. The administrators stated that they would enter into negotiations with the main creditor, the Royal Bank of Scotland, to see whether it was willing to take ownership of the course, and contract out the management of its operations to an established race course operator. [4] The administrators subsequently made a deal with a local businessman, Terry Chambers, to lease the course to him for 18 months, but the course was unable to obtain a racing licence and therefore was ineligible to bid for fixtures for 2010. [5] . In September 2009 the administrator announced that they had struck a deal for Chambers and Bill Gredley to buy the racecourse with the hope that racing could resume in 2011. [6] See also Retrieved from " " The above article was imported from Wikipedia.org on 08/24/2010 and may be a modified version of the Original Wikipedia article . See this article's history page for a list of revisions which may have occurred after import.

This article is displayed here courtesy of the Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia, and its authors/contributors in compliance with the Wikimedia Terms of Use Agreement. This article was imported and is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0 (CC-BY-SA) . Clicking on photos, videos, or drawings in this article will display copyright and license information for that non-text media where available. Great Leighs Racecourse has License Revoked - 01-17-09 Great Leighs Racecourse has License Revoked - 01-17-09 January 17 - UK horseracing fans will be disappointed with the news that the country's newest flat horseracing venue, Great Leighs Racecourse, was ordered to halt all racing this week because its temporary horseracing license was revoked by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). Situated near Chelmsford in the English county of Essex, Great Leighs Racecourse opened in 2008 to much fanfare, as race goers and punters alike were eager to watch some of the country's top thoroughbreds competing on its new state-of-the-art 30 million pound all-weather track.

However, this recent development will undoubtedly come as a blow to staff at Great Leighs Racecourse as well as horseracing fans, especially considering its popular Thursday 'Night Racing' fixtures will have to be put on hold until the venue is granted a permanent license by the BHA. Although the exact reason why the BHA revoked Great Leighs' license is still not clear, the UK's official horseracing body did issue a statement to the effect that unless a new application is made by Great Leighs Racecourse and is successful, it is not licensed to host any horseracing. Said Great Leighs spokesperson, John Holmes, 'We ran four fixtures under a temporary license, but the process of applying for a license has taken longer than we anticipated. We applied for an extension to cover our fixtures on January 22nd and 29th, but were told that we did not provide enough information. 'So, as a result of timing for the entries, we have lost next Thursday's fixture. However, we'll be back at the BHA on Monday with a view to being granted a license so that Great Leighs Racecourse can resume racing from January 29th,' he said.

Great Leighs Racecourse, which is the first new horseracing venue to be built in Britain since 1927, has been no stranger to controversy, starting with its construction. The course was supposed to open in October 2006, but due to delays only officially opened on April 20th last year. Other Articles: Great Leighs Racecourse | Rankly Great Leighs Racecourse Based on 1 votes About Great Leighs Racecourse Great Leighs Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Great Leighs near Chelmsford, Essex, England. When it opened in April 2008 it was the first completely new racecourse in the UK since Taunton opened in 1927. It went into administration the following January, and it is not known if racing will resume. Great Leighs was developed and owned by entrepreneur John Holmes and his son, Jonathan. It aimed to exploit potentially the largest unserved market in British horseracing.

Overall there is slightly more than one racecourse per million people in Great Britain, but there is no racecourse in Essex (population >1.6 million) or in east London (formerly part of Essex and with a population >1.5 million) or in the neighbouring county of Hertfordshire (population >1 million). However the course is only 50 miles from Newmarket, the largest racehorse training centre in Britain. The course is laid out as an eight-and-a-half furlong left-handed Polytrack oval, with a two-furlong home straight. The 10,000-capacity grandstand was used at the 2006 Ryder Cup. Great Leighs was originally scheduled to open in October 2006, but the opening was deferred several times. On 20 March 2008 BBC - Discussions on Great Leighs racecourse future held Discussions on Great Leighs racecourse future held By Oliver Rogers BBC Essex Temple of Thebes won the maiden Fillies' Stakes Race on the first race day Talks have been held with a number of potential buyers for the Great Leighs racecourse, BBC Essex has learned.

Royal Bank of Scotland, who own the site have confirmed they have spoken to millionaire businessman, George Walker. The racecourse cost £30 million to build, but closed in January 2009 after nine months of operation. A spokesperson for RBS told BBC Essex: "The bank's distressed assets arm, West Register are involved in discussions to sell the site." When it opened in April 2008, the all-weather track was Britain's first new racecourse for 81-years. BBC Essex understands that the RBS subsidiary, West Register Investments Ltd, have held talks with a 'number of potential buyers, including George Walker.' The bank spokesperson added they had been working very closely with Chelmsford Borough Council as the local planning authority. Previous attempts to sell the racecourse have faltered, with the administrators, Deloitte, selling the property to West Register Investments Ltd in July 2010. Talks held In a statement to BBC Essex, Chelmsford Borough Council confirmed they had held talks with George Walker and his associates.

Former-boxer and chairman of Brent Walker, Mr Walker developed the Brent Cross shopping centre in 1974 and went on to takeover the William Hill chain of betting shops at the end of the 1980s. "Chelmsford Borough Council can confirm that planning officers have held initial discussions with George Walker and associates in recent weeks with a view towards looking at the future use of Great Leighs racecourse site for equestrian competition," a spokesperson for the borough council said. "No planning application has been made at this point," he added. Sir Alan Hazelhurst, the Conservative MP for the local area, welcomed the news there might be a return for racing at the ground. "If it can be put to some use that is not too dissimilar to what it once was then that would be a good thing," he said. Origins The architect behind the Great Leighs racecourse was entrepreneur, John Holmes, who purchased the Essex County showground in 1997.

June 2003 - BHB award Great Leighs a racecourse operator's licence April 2006 - Land tribunal reports on A131 compensation from Essex County Council 6 October 2006 - Original opening date for the all-weather track 20 April 2008 - First race meeting takes place at the Great Leighs track January 2009 - Racecourse is placed into administration May 2009 - Rescue deal fails July 2010 - West Register Investment, part of Royal Bank of Scotland, take control of the site It was an ambitious project to build a new racecourse and become the first to open since Taunton back in 1927. The 165-acre site was given the go-ahead for development as a racecourse by the British Horseracing Board (BHB) in June 2003, after three years of planning.

Kieren Fallon backed the project as he told the BBC in 2003: "It's very similar to a lot of tracks in America but with a much, much friendlier surface." Horse racing in Great Leighs was set to start on 6 October 2006 having been allocated 24 fixtures during the year and a further 58 for 2007. All of these races had to be handed back to the British Horseracing Board. Work progressed on the building of the course, with a 10,000 seater stand, used at the 2006 Ryder Cup, brought in. Problems As the October 2006 deadline approached it became clear the course was not ready for horse racing to begin at the venue. Construction work and landscaping continued, as the management attempted to get the ground ready. Businessman, John Holmes had the vision for the Great Leighs track Essex County Showground Group Ltd brought a land tribunal case against Essex County Council in 2006. The dispute centred around 18 acres of land compulsorily purchased for the construction of the A131 in 2000.

The building of the road, opened in September 2002, left eight acres cut-off from the main racecourse plot. Mr Holmes wanted increased compensation for the land and sought the cost of building a connecting tunnel to the stabling blocks as well. The additional construction work, it was argued by the company, had slowed work on the racecourse and prevented it from opening on time, and Mr Holmes was also seeking compensation for loss of profits. Mr Holmes valued his claim at some £9.3m; Essex County Council's valuation was under £1m. The hearing in London during January and February 2006 heard expert testimony and eventually concluded that a sum of £568,000 was due to Mr Holmes and his company. It was determined in the judgement that no loss of profits or that the underpass should be paid for by Essex County Council. Opening day The racecourse at Great Leighs eventually cost over £30m to build. Temple of Thebes won the inaugural race on Sunday, 20 April 2008, ridden by Stephen Donohoe in front of an invited audience.

Construction work continued shortly before the first race in April 2008 John Holmes told the BBC in 2008: "We are not going to be huge like Ascot, but we are looking for three feature meetings a year and we'd like to try a Breeders' Cup trial, hopefully. "We want to look after our public and if they leave and say 'what a lovely little track', that'll do," he said. Muddy conditions created problems for some race meetings at Great Leighs, but fixtures did go ahead regularly during 2008. Footballers Owen Hargreaves, Roque Santa Cruz and Claudio Pizarro were among the visitors. The trio saw their horse Audemar win at the track in October 2008. The end of horse racing at Great Leighs came on 16 January 2009, when the course was placed into administration and the temporary racing licence was revoked by the British Horseracing Authority. A rescue deal involving local businessman, Terry Chambers, who owns the Ashfields Carriage and Polo Club, in Great Canfield failed in September 2009.

Administrators could not sell the venue and it reverted back to the Royal Bank of Scotland, who announced that a subsidiary West Register Investment had bought the ground. The site of Britain's first new racecourse for 81-years now sits abandoned, with the prospect of redevelopment for another use a possibility. The talks between Chelmsford Borough Council and a gambling tycoon give the racecourse the possibility of a racing future. Bookmark with: ° Guide: Great Leighs in United Kingdom (England) | Tripmondo More reading: Great Leighs Racecourse homepage Great Leighs Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Great Leighs near Chelmsford, Essex, England. When it opened in April 2008 it was the first completely new racecourse in the UK since Taunton opened in 1927. It went into administration the following January, and it is not known if racing will resume. Great Leighs was developed and owned by entrepreneur John Holmes and his son, Jonathan. It aimed to exploit potentially the largest unserved market in British horseracing.

Overall there is slightly more than one racecourse per million people in Great Britain, but there is no racecourse in Essex (population >1.6 million) or in east London (formerly part of Essex and with a population >1.5 million) or in the neighbouring county of Hertfordshire (population >1 million). However the course is only 50 miles from Newmarket, the largest racehorse training centre in Britain. The course is laid out as an eight-and-a-half furlong left-handed Polytrack oval, with a two-furlong home straight. The 10,000-capacity grandstand was used at the 2006 Ryder Cup. Great Leighs Racecourse Great Leighs Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Great Leighs near Chelmsford, Essex, England. When it opened in April 2008 it ... Read details This attraction is classified as: Defunct horse racing venues in England Horse racing venues in England Sports venues in Essex More reading: Wikipedia Article Little Leighs is a village in the Chelmsford District, in the English county of Essex.

Little Leighs lies beside the River Ter, just south of the village of Great Leighs; until rerouting bypassed the village, Little Leighs was on the A131 road. The church in the village is dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. Small and sturdy, handsome in its simplicity, the fabric of the structure dates back at least as far as the twelfth century. Little Leighs Little Leighs is a village in the Chelmsford District, in the English county of Essex. Little Leighs lies beside the River Ter, just south of the vill... Read details This attraction is classified as: Villages in Essex More reading: Wikipedia Article Royal Air Force Station Boreham or more simply RAF Boreham is a former Royal Air Force station in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately 4 miles north-northeast of Chelmsford; about 30 miles northeast of London Opened in 1944, it was used by the United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used primarily as bomber and a troop transport airfield for paratroopers. After the war it was closed in late 1945.

Today the remains of the airfield are partially used as a gravel quarry as well as the Essex Police Helicopter Unit and the Essex Air Ambulance. RAF Boreham Royal Air Force Station Boreham or more simply RAF Boreham is a former Royal Air Force station in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximatel... Read details This attraction is classified as: Airfields of the 9th Bombardment Division in the United Kingdom Airfields of the IX Troop Carrier Command in the United Kingdom Military history of Essex Royal Air Force stations in Essex White Notley More reading: Wikipedia Article White Notley is a parish in Essex, England. The settlement (which includes the outlying hamlet of The Green) lies equidistant between the towns of Witham and Braintree amongst arable farmland, 4 miles in each direction. White Notley is a quintessentially English village with a small primary school, Public House, White Notley railway station, Post Office, Village Hall and a 10th Century Church. The village has a population of fewer than five hundred inhabitants. White Notley White Notley is a parish in Essex, England.

The settlement (which includes the outlying hamlet of The Green) lies equidistant between the towns of Wit... Read details This attraction is classified as: Braintree (district) Rayne railway station was located in Rayne, Essex. It closed in 1952. Rayne railway station Rayne railway station was located in Rayne, Essex. It closed in 1952.... Read details This attraction is classified as: Braintree (district) Disused railway stations in Essex Former Great Eastern Railway stations Railway stations closed in 1952 Railway stations opened in 1869 White Court More reading: Wikipedia Article White Court is a local community in the south west of Braintree, Essex, England, built on the site of the old "Oaklands" estate, used as an American army hospital during the second world war. White Court White Court is a local community in the south west of Braintree, Essex, England, built on the site of the old "Oaklands" estate, used as an American a... Read details This attraction is classified as: Braintree (district) More reading: Wikipedia Article Minnow End is a hamlet in the Chelmsford District, in the English county of Essex.

Nearby settlements include the town of Chelmsford and the villages of Great Waltham and Little Waltham. For transport there is the B1008 road, the A131 road and the A130 road nearby. Minnow End Minnow End is a hamlet in the Chelmsford District, in the English county of Essex. Nearby settlements include the town of Chelmsford and the villages ... Read details This attraction is classified as: City of Chelmsford Bannister Green Halt railway station Located at 51.83, 0.51 (Lat. / Lng.), less than 4 mi away. More reading: Wikipedia Article Bannister Green Halt railway station was a station in Bannister Green, Essex. It closed in 1952. Former services Preceding station Disused railways Following station Felsted Great Eastern Railway Rayne Bannister Green Halt railway station Bannister Green Halt railway station was a station in Bannister Green, Essex. It closed in 1952. Former services Preceding station Disused railways Fo...

Read details This attraction is classified as: Disused railway stations in Essex Former Great Eastern Railway stations Railway stations closed in 1952 Railway stations opened in 1922 Chelmsford Rural District More reading: Wikipedia Article Chelmsford was a local government district in Essex, England from 1894 to 1974. It surrounded, but did not include, the town of Chelmsford; which formed a municipal borough. It was formed as a rural district in 1894, based on the Chelmsford rural sanitary district. It included the parishes of: Boreham Broomfield Buttsbury Chignall Danbury East Hanningfield Good Easter Great Baddow Great Leighs Great Waltham Highwood Ingatestone and Fryerning Little Baddow Little Leighs Little Waltham Margaretting Mashbury Pleshy Rettendon Roxwell Runwell Sandon South Hanningfield Springfield Stock West Hanningfield Widford Woodham Ferrers Writtle During 1934 there were some changes to the district boundary.

The municipal borough of Chelmsford expanded and gained 1,659 acres from the rural district, including parts of the parishes of Broomfield, Springfield, Widford, and Writtle. At the same time 1,282 acres were transferred from Buttsbury parish to form part of Billericay Urban District. Later that year, an area of 6,128 acres, made up of Mountnessing and parts of the parishes of Downham, Ramsden Bellhouse, Ramsden Crays and Shenfield, was gained from the abolished Billericay Rural District. Also at this time 274 acres was gained from the parish of Hockley in Rochford Rural District. The district was abolished in 1974 and its former area was merged with the municipal borough of Chelmsford to form the current non-metropolitan district of Chelmsford, which inherited the borough charter. The parishes of Ingatestone and Fryerning and Mountnessing became part of the district of Brentwood. Chelmsford Rural District Chelmsford was a local government district in Essex, England from 1894 to 1974.

It surrounded, but did not include, the town of Chelmsford; which form... Read details This attraction is classified as: City of Chelmsford More reading: Wikipedia Article The Palace of Beaulieu is a former Royal Palace in Boreham, Essex, England, north-east of Chelmsford. The property is currently occupied by New Hall School. The estate on which it was built – the manor of Walhfare in Boreham – was granted to the Canons of Waltham Abbey in 1062. After various changes of possession, it was granted by the Crown to the Earl of Ormond in 1491. By this time, it had a house called New Hall. In 1516, New Hall was sold by Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire and 1st Earl of Ormond to Henry VIII of England for £1,000.. The king rebuilt the house in brick at a cost of £17,000.. He gave his new palace the name Beaulieu, meaning beautiful place, the name expressed Henry's desire for fine things, though the name change did not outlast the century.

On July 23, 1527, Henry's court arrived at Beaulieu on his summer progress, staying, unusually, for over a month. In the company of the a large number of nobles and their wives, including Anne Boleyn's father who was also Viscount Rochford, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, the Marquess of Exeter, the Earls of Oxford, Essex and Rutland and Viscount Fitzwalter. It was here that Henry devised a scheme to allow him to cohabit with the intended successor of Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, by obtaining a Papal bull to allow him to commit bigamy. This plan was dropped when Cardinal Wolsey discovered the plan, though the pope did, in fact, issue a bill to the same effect that December. In October 1533, the daughter of Queen Katherine of Aragon, Mary, who had been staying at Beaulieu for some time, was evicted as the palace had recently been granted to George Boleyn (Anne Boleyn's brother). George had been a former keeper at Beaulieu when the palace was in the hands of the king.

The royal inventory of 1547 noted 29 great beds, four bathing rooms with wooden floors and beds set in the wall, and a library with 37 titles. After Anne Boleyn was beheaded and Henry married Jane Seymour, he was convinced by his new wife to bring his daughters back to court. In 1537,when Queen Jane died after giving birth to a son, Edward, Mary, Henry's eldest daughter was made godmother to her half-brother Edward and acted as chief mourner at the Queen's funeral. Henry granted her a household and Mary was permitted to reside in royal palaces. Her privy purse expenses for nearly the whole of this period have been published and show that Hatfield House, the Palace of Beaulieu (also called Newhall), Richmond and Hunsdon were among her principal places of residence. Queen Elizabeth I of England granted the estate in 1573 to Thomas Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex, who seems to have largely rebuilt the north wing. It is not known though whether he rebuilt other parts of the palace, a fire occurred in Henry VIIIs time and the palace itself could mostly have been rebuilt.

Soon after the north range was completed, Thomas installed Elizabeth's coat of arms above the main entrance which is still visible today. In 1622, it was sold to George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham for £30,000. During the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell took possession of the estate for the sum of five shillings in 1640. After reverting to the 2nd Duke of Buckingham at the Restoration, it was sold to George Monck, 1st Duke of Albermarle, and the court of Charles II of England was frequently entertained there. Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, visited in 1669 and a member of his retinue produced a view of the house. A copy of this view was published in 1821. Benjamin Hoare acquired the property in 1713, but it was in a poor state when purchased in 1737 by John Olmius, elevated to the peerage as Baron Waltham in 1762, who demolished and rebuilt much of the former palace. The north wing was left largely untouched and forms the present house.

John was succeeded in 1762 by his son the Drigue who died childless in 1797, aged 40, when New Hall devolved on his sister, the Honourable Elizabeth. However, she died the same year and her husband John Luttrell, later 3rd Earl of Carhampton, on the first inheritance took on the Olmius suffix and, then having the Carhampton estate including Painshill Park, sold New Hall in 1798. The purchasers in 1798 were the English nuns of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, who opened a Catholic school there the following year. New Hall School remains a school to this day. The Royal Arms of Henry VIII are in the school chapel. In 2006 a book, New Hall and its School, was published by Tony Tuckwell. The Beaulieu name is now remembered in the name of the nearby housing estate, Beaulieu Park, Boreham. In February 2009, Channel 4's Time Team visited and excavated the grounds of the former palace.

The programme was broadcast on Easter Monday, in the excavations, the time team uncovered the chapel, west wing and the gatehouse. Palace of Beaulieu The Palace of Beaulieu is a former Royal Palace in Boreham, Essex, England, north-east of Chelmsford. The property is currently occupied by New Hall S... Read details This attraction is classified as: Buildings and structures in Essex Country houses in Essex Royal residences in the United Kingdom Tudor royal palaces in England Warner Textile Archive More reading: Wikipedia Article The Warner Textile Archive is a UK-based collection of textiles, designs and paper records operated by Braintree District Museum Trust Ltd. Based in Braintree, Essex, the Archive consists of some 100,000 items representing the creative and commercial legacy of Warner & Sons, a textile firm which operated from Braintree throughout much of the twentieth century. The Warner Textile Archive is housed in part of the original mill building at Silks Way, Braintree, and maintains a publicly accessible gallery along with rotating public exhibitions. Warner Textile Archive The Warner Textile Archive is a UK-based collection of textiles, designs and paper records operated by Braintree District Museum Trust Ltd. Based in B...

Read details This attraction is classified as: Archives in Essex Great Leighs: Stargazers fear light pollution from racecourse > Betfair Community > Horse Racing | Topic/replies: 29,479 | Blogger: Anaglogs Daughter's blog By Ross Bentley Sunday, April 7, 2013 ASTRONOMERS fear floodlights at a sports stadium will ruin their view of the night sky. Earlier this week, the planning committee at Chelmsford Borough Council gave conditional approval to the 74 floodlights at Great Leighs Racecourse. The owners of the all-weather race track intend to use them to light evening race meetings at the 165-acre site – formerly the Essex County Showground – located between Braintree and Chelmsford. But stargazers are concerned about the impact of light pollution from the £30million venue. They remember when the track originally opened in April 2008, only to shut after nine months when the previous owners went into administration. Since then the course has remained closed. James Abbot, Essex representative of the Campaign for Dark Skies, said: “The lights had a devastating effect on the night sky.

It affected astronomers, people living in nearby rural areas and local wildlife. “These lights are so bright because they want to film the races in high-definition. I live six miles away and I could see the glare through closed curtains. People could read newsprint at 10pm from two miles away.” But the council has given the floodlights the go-ahead, subject to a number of conditions. These state that the lights must not be used after 10pm and that night race meets can only take place up to 130 times a year. The new owners, MC Racetracks, must also reduce light “spillage” on to nearby roads and test the lights to the satisfaction of the planning officer. The approval follows hot on the heels of MC Racetracks receiving planning permission to build a 30,000sq ft hospitality complex with capacity for 3,500 people alongside the track. Chairman of MC Racetracks, Keith Brown, said: “The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has made 98 floodlight fixtures available and we are likely to only get a small percentage of those, so the floodlights won’t be turned on that many times.

“A big part of our business model is providing filmed race events that can be shown on British racing TV channels and in betting shops.” Mr Brown said he hoped the planning approvals would be a deciding factor in the BHA supporting the company’s application for a racing licence for 2014. MC Racetracks previously had an application turned down for this year. A decision on the racing licence is expected some time in May. ° Guide: Chatley in United Kingdom (England) | Tripmondo Day: 8°C (47 °F) Night: 8°C (46 °F) Light rain, fresh breeze, scattered clouds. Webcam Collection Chelmsford: Essex lat/lng: 51.736 / 0.47 9.6 mi from city centre The cam " Chelmsford: Essex " is located in Chelmsford and has been submitted by user sales5394. This citycam has been viewed 2,890 times. Webcams provided by webcam.travel are under the copyright of their owners. Map of local sightseeing hints Distances are based on the centre of the city/town and sightseeing location.

This list contains brief abstracts about monuments, holiday activities, national parcs, museums, organisations and more from the area as well as interesting facts about the region itself. Where available, you'll find the corresponding homepage. Otherwise the related wikipedia article. Fuller Street More reading: Wikipedia Article Little Leighs is a village in the Chelmsford District, in the English county of Essex. Little Leighs lies beside the River Ter, just south of the village of Great Leighs; until rerouting bypassed the village, Little Leighs was on the A131 road. The church in the village is dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. Small and sturdy, handsome in its simplicity, the fabric of the structure dates back at least as far as the twelfth century. Little Leighs Little Leighs is a village in the Chelmsford District, in the English county of Essex. Little Leighs lies beside the River Ter, just south of the vill... Read details This attraction is classified as: Villages in Essex More reading: Great Leighs Racecourse homepage Great Leighs Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Great Leighs near Chelmsford, Essex, England.

When it opened in April 2008 it was the first completely new racecourse in the UK since Taunton opened in 1927. It went into administration the following January, and it is not known if racing will resume. Great Leighs was developed and owned by entrepreneur John Holmes and his son, Jonathan. It aimed to exploit potentially the largest unserved market in British horseracing. Overall there is slightly more than one racecourse per million people in Great Britain, but there is no racecourse in Essex (population >1.6 million) or in east London (formerly part of Essex and with a population >1.5 million) or in the neighbouring county of Hertfordshire (population >1 million). However the course is only 50 miles from Newmarket, the largest racehorse training centre in Britain. The course is laid out as an eight-and-a-half furlong left-handed Polytrack oval, with a two-furlong home straight. The 10,000-capacity grandstand was used at the 2006 Ryder Cup.

Great Leighs Racecourse Great Leighs Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Great Leighs near Chelmsford, Essex, England. When it opened in April 2008 it ... Read details This attraction is classified as: Defunct horse racing venues in England Horse racing venues in England Sports venues in Essex More reading: Wikipedia Article White Notley is a parish in Essex, England. The settlement (which includes the outlying hamlet of The Green) lies equidistant between the towns of Witham and Braintree amongst arable farmland, 4 miles in each direction. White Notley is a quintessentially English village with a small primary school, Public House, White Notley railway station, Post Office, Village Hall and a 10th Century Church. The village has a population of fewer than five hundred inhabitants. White Notley White Notley is a parish in Essex, England. The settlement (which includes the outlying hamlet of The Green) lies equidistant between the towns of Wit...

Read details This attraction is classified as: Braintree (district) More reading: Wikipedia Article Royal Air Force Station Boreham or more simply RAF Boreham is a former Royal Air Force station in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately 4 miles north-northeast of Chelmsford; about 30 miles northeast of London Opened in 1944, it was used by the United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used primarily as bomber and a troop transport airfield for paratroopers. After the war it was closed in late 1945. Today the remains of the airfield are partially used as a gravel quarry as well as the Essex Police Helicopter Unit and the Essex Air Ambulance. RAF Boreham Royal Air Force Station Boreham or more simply RAF Boreham is a former Royal Air Force station in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximatel...

Read details This attraction is classified as: Airfields of the 9th Bombardment Division in the United Kingdom Airfields of the IX Troop Carrier Command in the United Kingdom Military history of Essex Royal Air Force stations in Essex Hartford End More reading: Wikipedia Article Hartford End is a hamlet in the county of Essex, England. It is situated on the B1417 road approximately 2 miles from the village of Felsted. The headquarters of Ridley's Brewery was in Hartford End Hartford End Hartford End is a hamlet in the county of Essex, England. It is situated on the B1417 road approximately 2 miles from the village of Felsted. The head... Read details This attraction is classified as: Hamlets in Essex Railway stations served by Greater Anglia Chelmsford Rural District More reading: Wikipedia Article Chelmsford was a local government district in Essex, England from 1894 to 1974. It surrounded, but did not include, the town of Chelmsford; which formed a municipal borough. It was formed as a rural district in 1894, based on the Chelmsford rural sanitary district.

It included the parishes of: Boreham Broomfield Buttsbury Chignall Danbury East Hanningfield Good Easter Great Baddow Great Leighs Great Waltham Highwood Ingatestone and Fryerning Little Baddow Little Leighs Little Waltham Margaretting Mashbury Pleshy Rettendon Roxwell Runwell Sandon South Hanningfield Springfield Stock West Hanningfield Widford Woodham Ferrers Writtle During 1934 there were some changes to the district boundary. The municipal borough of Chelmsford expanded and gained 1,659 acres from the rural district, including parts of the parishes of Broomfield, Springfield, Widford, and Writtle. At the same time 1,282 acres were transferred from Buttsbury parish to form part of Billericay Urban District. Later that year, an area of 6,128 acres, made up of Mountnessing and parts of the parishes of Downham, Ramsden Bellhouse, Ramsden Crays and Shenfield, was gained from the abolished Billericay Rural District.

Also at this time 274 acres was gained from the parish of Hockley in Rochford Rural District. The district was abolished in 1974 and its former area was merged with the municipal borough of Chelmsford to form the current non-metropolitan district of Chelmsford, which inherited the borough charter. The parishes of Ingatestone and Fryerning and Mountnessing became part of the district of Brentwood. Chelmsford Rural District Chelmsford was a local government district in Essex, England from 1894 to 1974. It surrounded, but did not include, the town of Chelmsford; which form... Read details This attraction is classified as: City of Chelmsford More reading: Broomfield Hospital homepage Broomfield Hospital is the general hospital for Chelmsford, England and the surrounding areas. It is the largest within the Mid Essex Hospitals Services Trust and is an 800-bed acute hospital which offers a wide range of services. The world renowned St. Andrew's Centre - a specialist unit for cleft lip and palate, burns and plastic surgery is also located at Broomfield Hospital.

Broomfield Hospital Broomfield Hospital is the general hospital for Chelmsford, England and the surrounding areas. It is the largest within the Mid Essex Hospitals Servic... Read details This attraction is classified as: 1940 establishments in England More reading: Wikipedia Article The Palace of Beaulieu is a former Royal Palace in Boreham, Essex, England, north-east of Chelmsford. The property is currently occupied by New Hall School. The estate on which it was built – the manor of Walhfare in Boreham – was granted to the Canons of Waltham Abbey in 1062. After various changes of possession, it was granted by the Crown to the Earl of Ormond in 1491. By this time, it had a house called New Hall. In 1516, New Hall was sold by Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire and 1st Earl of Ormond to Henry VIII of England for £1,000.. The king rebuilt the house in brick at a cost of £17,000..

He gave his new palace the name Beaulieu, meaning beautiful place, the name expressed Henry's desire for fine things, though the name change did not outlast the century. On July 23, 1527, Henry's court arrived at Beaulieu on his summer progress, staying, unusually, for over a month. In the company of the a large number of nobles and their wives, including Anne Boleyn's father who was also Viscount Rochford, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, the Marquess of Exeter, the Earls of Oxford, Essex and Rutland and Viscount Fitzwalter. It was here that Henry devised a scheme to allow him to cohabit with the intended successor of Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, by obtaining a Papal bull to allow him to commit bigamy. This plan was dropped when Cardinal Wolsey discovered the plan, though the pope did, in fact, issue a bill to the same effect that December.

In October 1533, the daughter of Queen Katherine of Aragon, Mary, who had been staying at Beaulieu for some time, was evicted as the palace had recently been granted to George Boleyn (Anne Boleyn's brother). George had been a former keeper at Beaulieu when the palace was in the hands of the king. The royal inventory of 1547 noted 29 great beds, four bathing rooms with wooden floors and beds set in the wall, and a library with 37 titles. After Anne Boleyn was beheaded and Henry married Jane Seymour, he was convinced by his new wife to bring his daughters back to court. In 1537,when Queen Jane died after giving birth to a son, Edward, Mary, Henry's eldest daughter was made godmother to her half-brother Edward and acted as chief mourner at the Queen's funeral. Henry granted her a household and Mary was permitted to reside in royal palaces. Her privy purse expenses for nearly the whole of this period have been published and show that Hatfield House, the Palace of Beaulieu (also called Newhall), Richmond and Hunsdon were among her principal places of residence.

Queen Elizabeth I of England granted the estate in 1573 to Thomas Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex, who seems to have largely rebuilt the north wing. It is not known though whether he rebuilt other parts of the palace, a fire occurred in Henry VIIIs time and the palace itself could mostly have been rebuilt. Soon after the north range was completed, Thomas installed Elizabeth's coat of arms above the main entrance which is still visible today. In 1622, it was sold to George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham for £30,000. During the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell took possession of the estate for the sum of five shillings in 1640. After reverting to the 2nd Duke of Buckingham at the Restoration, it was sold to George Monck, 1st Duke of Albermarle, and the court of Charles II of England was frequently entertained there. Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, visited in 1669 and a member of his retinue produced a view of the house. A copy of this view was published in 1821.

Benjamin Hoare acquired the property in 1713, but it was in a poor state when purchased in 1737 by John Olmius, elevated to the peerage as Baron Waltham in 1762, who demolished and rebuilt much of the former palace. The north wing was left largely untouched and forms the present house. John was succeeded in 1762 by his son the Drigue who died childless in 1797, aged 40, when New Hall devolved on his sister, the Honourable Elizabeth. However, she died the same year and her husband John Luttrell, later 3rd Earl of Carhampton, on the first inheritance took on the Olmius suffix and, then having the Carhampton estate including Painshill Park, sold New Hall in 1798. The purchasers in 1798 were the English nuns of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, who opened a Catholic school there the following year. New Hall School remains a school to this day. The Royal Arms of Henry VIII are in the school chapel.

In 2006 a book, New Hall and its School, was published by Tony Tuckwell. The Beaulieu name is now remembered in the name of the nearby housing estate, Beaulieu Park, Boreham. In February 2009, Channel 4's Time Team visited and excavated the grounds of the former palace. The programme was broadcast on Easter Monday, in the excavations, the time team uncovered the chapel, west wing and the gatehouse. Palace of Beaulieu The Palace of Beaulieu is a former Royal Palace in Boreham, Essex, England, north-east of Chelmsford. The property is currently occupied by New Hall S... Read details This attraction is classified as: Buildings and structures in Essex Country houses in Essex Great Leighs to reopen Great Leighs to reopen By Turia Tellwright9.46AM 16 JAN 2009 THE future of Great Leighs racecourse is up in the air after the track's temporary licence expired at midnight on Thursday amid reports of financial difficulties. However, the track's management are insistent that the ï¿½Essex venue will reopen in time for the fixture on January 29.

A statement on the BHA website explained that a sub-committee of the BHA regulatory committee had declined to grant a further temporary licence. Consequently, until a new application is made by the managing executive of Great Leighs, racing can not take place at the course. The track had been operating under a temporary licence since January 1. The BHA's racing department are dealing with the consequences of the licence expiry, although the Racing Post understands that Thursday's meeting will take place at Kempton. Racecourse chairman John Holmes and the track's solicitors met with BHA officials on Thursday in an attempt to avoid the temporary closure. An extension to the temporary licence for a further two fixures was sought, but not granted. A restructuring of the racecourse company is one option believed to be under consideration. Joanna From Sporting Life Leading trainers and jockeys at Great Leighs expressed universal concern after Britain's newest racetrack went into administration. The long-term future of the Essex course is in jeopardy after administrators Deloitte were called in just hours after its latest extension application for a temporary licence was turned down. Next Thursday's scheduled fixture has already been moved to Kempton.

Despite Great Leighs' financial difficulties, the Polytrack racing surface has gained widespread praise since the venue opened its doors last April. West Sussex handler Gary Moore is currently top trainer at the course and hopes for a speedy resolution to the crisis. Moore said: "It has come as a big shock and I feel very sorry for them because it is a good course. "Hopefully somebody can step in and save it because it's a very fair track and most people have given it the thumbs-up." Hertfordshire trainer John Jenkins has also embraced the Great Leighs project and celebrated two winners at Thursday evening's floodlit meeting. Jenkins said: "I like going there and I thought the place seemed to be taking off. "The facilities were improving and the racing surface is very good and seemed to suit a lot of horses. "It was a shock, but I'm sure it will come back." Jockey Chris Catlin has ridden 10 winners at the track, including a treble on Thursday night, and was caught unawares by the course having been placed into administration. He said: "There was no sign that this was going to happen at the last meeting and I'm very surprised.

"It's a very good track - very handy because it's only up the road from Newmarket - and I've been doing well there recently. "I think everyone's got their fingers crossed that the situation is sorted out sooner rather than later." Great Leighs last year became the first British circuit since Taunton in 1927, but has been plagued by setbacks since planning application was granted in January 2002. Built on the 430-acre site of Essex County Showground, north of Chelmsford, the ï¿½30million development was initially expected to have been completed by June 2006. Yet a series of hold-ups meant the inaugural behind-closed-doors meeting did not take place until April 18, 2008. The track did not open to the general public until May 28. Having lost its annual licence as from January 1, Great Leighs had been operating under a temporary licence. That two-week permit expired at midnight on Thursday, after which owner John Holmes unsuccessfully applied to the British Horseracing Authority for a new short-term licence to operate until the end of January.

Holmes said he would return to the BHA with a new application on Monday, with a view to resuming racing from January 29. Deloitte are working with the existing management at Great Leighs "to continue to trade the business in the short term". Talks are taking place with the BHA, according to the administrators, to secure the course's licence and "ability to trade as a going concern while we investigate the opportunity of a sale". Carlton Siddle, joint administrator and Deloitte partner, added that the firm "will be assessing the position of the group in order to determine the best outcome for its creditors". Great Leighs Timeline: January 2002: Planning application granted for racetrack and 120-box training facility. June 2003: British Horseracing Board announce Great Leighs as the UK's 60th licensed track. February 2004: Bulldozers move in to begin phase one of the redevelopment work. November 2004: John Holmes, the man behind the development, secures 80 extra acres of land for the project.

April 2005: BHB grants Great Leighs nine meetings in 2006 and 16 in a full term by the BHB. Holmes earmarks June 1, 2006 as Great Leighs' first fixture. June 2005: Opening date put back to October 6, 2006. August 2006: Four meetings in October and two in early November returned to BHB and auctioned off. September 2006: Opening date put back to February 2007. Twenty-six more fixtures up for grabs. January 2007: Opening date put back to June 2007. April 2007: Opening date put back to August 2007, then October 2007, then February 2008. January 2008: Opening date put back to March 2008 following a visit from BHA Inspectorate. Seven more fixtures returned to BHA. February 2008: BHA give Great Leighs thumbs-up to open its gates on April 4, 2008.

March 2008: Opening delayed another two weeks. April 18, 2008: BHA officials give formal go-ahead to first meeting on April 20 - but not to the general public - following 11th-hour inspection. April 20, 2008: Great Leighs becomes first new British racecourse since Taunton in 1927. May 28, 2008: Great Leighs opens its doors to the general public for the first time. September 27, 2008: Breeders' Cup Trials meeting staged. December 2008: Annual licence application rejected. Two-week temporary licence issued. January 15, 2009: Temporary licence not renewed. January 16, 2009: Thursday's meeting switched to Kempton. Great Leighs enters administration.

Guest wonder how many houses they`re gonna get on there....think that was the plan all the time,hence why it was kept like a shit hole,with no proper entrance,no proper toilets,a shit stand that looked like a community hall,inflated entrance price to put you off going Joanna From Sporting Life Great Leighs' administrators have announced they will not be seeking a temporary racing licence for the track following discussions with the British Horseracing Authority. Britain's newest course was operating under a temporary licence until earlier in the month, when the BHA refused it an extension. Deloitte were appointed as administrators to the group of companies that own and operate Great Leighs shortly afterwards. A deadline has been set for interested parties to submit indicative offers by the close of business by 6 February, with a view to completing a sale of the Essex track shortly afterwards. A statement from the administrators said that as a consequence of the decision not to seek a temporary licence, it has unfortunately been necessary to make 17 staff, predominantly in racing related roles, redundant.

Carlton Siddle, Joint Administrator and Deloitte Partner, said: "While the joint administrators will not be applying for a temporary racing licence, we are hopeful that a sale of the business and the granting of a full licence to the new owners can be achieved, allowing the new owners to stage the remaining 2009 fixtures. "In the absence of racing at Great Leighs we have unfortunately had to make today's redundancies. We are grateful to the management and staff of Great Leighs for their supports during this uncertain time." British Horseracing Authority Media Relations Manager Paul Struthers added: "At present all fixtures are owned by Essex County Showground Group Limited (in administration) but they do not have a licence.

"If there is to be a restructuring involving the transfer of fixtures then any prospective purchaser will have to have the consent of the Authority and if they wish to operate as a racecourse they will have to apply for and be granted a licence." Joanna By Howard Wright8.46PM 24 APR 2009 GREAT LEIGHS, which has not staged racing since being placed in administration on January 16, is unlikely to re-open this year and must find a buyer before May 31 if it is to secure fixtures for 2010. Shaping the 2010 racing programme has been under way for more than three weeks, but the crucial date is June 8, when all racecourses can take part in a prize-money-based auction for a batch of BHA-owned fixtures.

Deloitte corporate finance partner Carlton Siddle, one of the joint administrators, said: "Our discussions with the BHA have confirmed that provided an acceptable purchaser is in place by the end of May, the new owner would be able to participate in the 2010 fixture process, and also take up the residual Great Leighs fixtures for this year - although they would not necessarily be staged at the course." Guest all those houses ready to be built :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Joanna BHA The sound of rattling hooves will be absent at Great Leighs in 2010 after the racecourse was denied a licence by the British Horseracing Authority [BHA]. The track has not raced since being placed into administration on January 16, and the BHA announced earlier in May that a licence would be needed by May 29 in order to obtain fixtures for 2010. "A sub-committee of the Board of the British Horseracing Authority has considered a Racecourse Licence application from Great Leighs Racecourse Limited and has today [Friday] declined to grant that entity a racecourse licence," a statement from the BHA read.

"Great Leighs Racecourse Limited will therefore not be entitled to take part in the 2010 Fixture Allocation Process." jrparky Ho hum, another white elephant built in this green and pleasant land. Joanna By Howard Wright7.43PM 7 SEP 2009 FRESH ownership of the Great Leighs racecourse site, whose operating company went into administration in mid-January, appears to have been secured, although racing is highly unlikely to re-start before 2011. Business advisory firm Deloitte, whose senior executives have been acting as joint administrators since January 16, is understood to have reached agreement on a deal that will take the Essex County Showground Group (ECSG) and associate companies out of administration. ECSG had debts of upwards of ï¿½24 million when the all-weather track was closed, after the BHA refused to grant a further temporary licence to race following the previous night's fixture. By far the largest creditor is the Royal Bank of Scotland, which is believed to have taken the biggest short-term hit under the new arrangement hammered out by Deloitte's financial partner Carlton Siddle, one of the joint administrators.

Other significant creditors include the BHA, the Levy Board and SIS. Although only the Levy Board, which is owed ï¿½1.4m for a loan for floodlights, is a secured creditor, the rest are expected to be paid up when all details are finalised. Attempts to find a buyer for the track operating company have been hampered by conditionsattached to leases of vital areas of the site, including the stabling and access, which were held by ECSG founder and Great Leighs chairman John Holmes or his associates. It is understood that a solution to these difficulties has beenfound, and that Holmes remains a key figure in a new company formed to run the site, which received universal acclaim for its Polytrack racing surface but less credit for spectator facilities. However, Holmes is likely to play a less hands-on role in thefuture. In May, the BHA turned down a licence approach from a consortium, operating as Great Leighs Racecourse Ltd, which intended to lease the site for 18 months, with an option to buy for a pre-agreed amount at the end of that time,as a means of participating in the 2010 fixtures bidding process.

Great Leighs fixtures for 2010 were reallocated elsewhere. The new company, which will have to satisfy stringent conditions laid down by the BHA before being granted a licence to race, is expected to submit an application to take up at least 16 fixtures in 2011. No-one was available at Deloitte to comment on Monday. Joanna BBC Racing is set to return to Great Leighs after a consortium of local businessmen struck a deal to buy it. The group, led by Terry Chambers and horse owner Bill Gredley, hope to complete the takeover on September 29. The all-weather course closed in January, going into administration just nine months after it opened. The consortium, who have agreed to buy it for an undislosed sum, aim to stage races by 2011, subject to being granted a licence. Carlton Siddle, a partner at administrators Deloitte, said: "We are pleased that we have been able to agree this deal given the difficulties associated with the site." Guest well you wont see me there again thats for sure Joanna A final rescue package by Northern Racing has failed, signalling the death knell for the track.

tetinj It seems an utter waste of a perfectly good facility. At a time when we are likely to go into a period of financial hardship I would have thought the BHA would have been keen to have a track like Great Leighs where racing is much cheaper to stage than at a turf course where meetings are limited by season and turf husbandry. Isn't quite a lot, or all of, the lack of progress due to the original owner holding a number of important leases or rights of way on certain parts of the course.

Question: Great Leighs Race Course, which opened in 2007, is in which English county?
Answer: Essex