Before there was a cycle racing track in Romford, the club held their races on the road, an evening race on 16th May 1878 gives details of the machines used by the seven competitors: there were four Challenge machines 52", 50", 50" and 48", a 56" Britannia, a 54" Eclipse and a 50" Invincible.
The Recreation Ground was constructed in 1881 by the brewer Ind Coope of Romford++ on a piece of land near Victoria Road, the ground was used for football, cricket, tennis and bicycle racing. The Romford Chronicle on 28th April 1882 reported that a bicycle track had been built at the ground and had been inspected and approved by John Keen, the world champion rider.
The first bicycle race meeting on the new cinder track was on 8th July 1882. The Essex Bicycle and Tricycle Club held their annual race meeting on August Bank Holiday, the handicap races were a one mile tricycle, a two miles club race, three miles open, five miles club race for Essex B&TC members and a five miles open race.
There was a ten miles match race between John Keen and George Waller on 21st August 1882, Keen conceded thirty seconds to Waller. Keen caught Waller after three miles, after which the pair rode together until 150 yards from home when Waller spurted to the front and won by half a yard. The time was 34 min 34 sec, slow because of the strong wind.
The West Essex Bicycle Club, held a Championship of Essex meeting on 2nd September 1882. There were thirteen starters for the five miles race, in three heats, JL Clark Essex B&TC won the final in 18 min 53 sec. George Lacy Hillier was the judge.
Racing continued at the ground through 1883, with open meetings organised by the Kestrel BC, Star BC and a series of evening bicycle and tricycle races. The newly formed Essex County Cyclists Association (whose president was Mr OE Coope MP) promoted the second 5 miles Championship of Essex meeting. In the 1890s Walthamstow Harriers, Romford Rovers BC, Great Eastern Railways and St Andrews CC organised events. In 1892, the cinder track had been greatly improved and a dangerous corner made safe.
The Recreation Ground track was re-laid in 1897 with asphalt and the first events on the new surface was the Easter Monday meeting, followed by the Whit Monday meeting.
The Romford & Essex AC and Essex Beagles held their joint sports meeting on Easter Monday 1900 which included a man against horse race. The one mile competition matched cyclist HR Heffer against TJ Hart riding his horse, Flying Fox, the horse had a minutes start and won fairly easily in 3 min 55 sec. The postponed August Bank Holiday sports were held on 11th August 1900, the meeting included half, one and two miles open bicycle handicap races. This meeting was the last bicycle racing to be held at the Recreation Ground.
The Essex Weekly News of 28th March 1902 reported "The Easter Monday sports at Romford will not be held this year, nor ever again on the Old Recreation Ground. This part of the district has been given over to the builder..." and the Recreation Ground site was developed for housing around the area of King Edward Road.
++ Edward Ind had been a brewer in Romford since 1799, Octavius and Edward Coope joined him in 1845 and the firm was then known as Ind, Coope and Co. In 1889, they built the Romford Brewery on 40 acre site near the railway station. The brewery closed in 1993 and the site is now a shopping centre, called The Brewery.
