Bournemouth - Winton Recreation Ground
Pine Road : BH9 1BX
Bournemouth - Winton Recreation Ground : Map credit National Library of Scotland Bournemouth - Winton Recreation Ground : Image credit Winton Online Winton Recreation Ground was built on 14 acres of ground which was given by the Earl of Malmesbury to Bournemouth Borough Council in 1904. The facilities at the ground included football and cricket pitches, a bowling green, quoits rink and a cycle track and the ground was officially opened September 27th 1906. The cinder cycle track was laid around the cricket pitch and was a quarter of a mile around.

Bournemouth Athletic Club organised athletics meetings at Winton, but there was little bicycle racing because Dene Park and Poole Park tracks were fairly close.

The Bournemouth AC formed a cycling section of the club in April 1910. The Bournemouth Graphic of November 18th 1910 reported that, as a result of the split between the AAA and the NCU, the cycling members had left the club to remain loyal to the NCU. The cycling members then formed a new club, the Bournemouth Cycling Club. The new club held a race meeting on the Poole Park track in 1911.

Bournemouth AC held a sports meeting on September 10th 1913 which included bicycle events. The one mile handicap race was won by FW Berridge, off 48 yards, Berridge was a popular winner and had the handicap of having only one arm. The other bicycle events were a two miles handicap and a bicycle ‘musical chairs' race - run a lap, walk a lap, ride a lap.

Bournemouth AC was inactive during the First World War but resumed their activities at the end of 1919. They advertised an athletics meeting on September 29th 1920 which included one and two miles cycle races. This was probably the last time that bicycle racing took place at Winton.

Winton Recreation Ground is still in use.


Refs     : [553] [p]
Photos : Winton Online
Maps    : National Library of Scotland