York - Knavesmire
Knavesmire Road : YO23 1EX
York - Knavesmire : Image credit Google maps York - Knavesmire : Image credit Peter Eland The Knavesmire is a large open space in York, a large part of it has been used for horse racing as York Racecourse since 1731, it is also used for recreation and for public events. The York Rally was a major cyclists' annual weekend holiday event that started in 1945 on the Knavesmire and in the 1950s was organised by the Cyclists' Touring Club. The accommodation in York was always fully booked and camping on Knavesmire was very popular, in 1954 there were 500 campers. The activities at the Rally included bicycle races, bicycle polo, film shows and a Cycling Proficiency competition

In 1993, the Rally was still extremely popular with an attendance of 30,000 and 2,000 tents on the Knavesmire. The Rally stopped after 2012 event, but was revived in 2015 and is now known as The York Cycle Festival. The event is held each year in June on the Knavesmire, it is still very popular with families as a weekend break and camping facilities are provided. Recent Festivals draw around 5,000 visitors to see trade and club displays, a large bike jumble sale, Audax rides and grass track racing.

Grass track racing has historically been part of the Rally or Festival from 1945 and it has recently been organised by the National Clarion CC. At the 2024 meeting there were races for seniors, juniors and youth riders, both male and female, the meeting included rounds of British Cycling's National Grass Track Endurance and Sprinter's Leagues plus other other races. Unfortunately the 2025 grass track meeting at Knavesmire was cancelled due to low entries.


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Photos : Google maps, Peter Eland