Builth Wells - Cricket ground
Garth Road : LD2 3BT
Builth Wells - Cricket ground : Map credit National Library of Scotland Builth Wells - Cricket ground : Image credit Wiki Commons The first bicycle race at Builth Wells was a fifteen miles match between John Keen and David Stanton, it was advertised to be held on 24th September 1879, along with the two miles amateur championship of Wales and a one mile amateur handicap race. Whether this race took place is unclear, as there appear to be no press reports with the results of the meeting.

The bicycle racing at Builth Wells took place on grass tracks either on the green** or at the cricket ground. The bicycle races were often part of the annual sports meeting, usually held in August and variously part of the Builth flower show, Agricultural Society show, the local Foresters fete or the Annual Athletics meetings. Builth Wells is fairly isolated and the bicycle racing there usually attracted only local riders, so field were small and the racing quality was fairly poor.

The Builth flower show and sports were held on 18th August 1881 using a marked out grass track on the green, there was a one mile bicycle handicap race. The Annual athletics meetings were held each August from around 1890 and at the 13th August 1891 sports, there was a two miles open handicap bicycle race, which was won by S Powell of Hereford CC for a £3 prize.

The Agricultural Society show included sports in the late 1890s and the 16th August 1899 meeting on the Green included a three miles handicap bicycle race. The local Foresters charity took over the sports in the 1900s and the 1904 meeting was held on the cricket field, the sports included one and three miles open bicycle races, for which there were fourteen entries. Athletic sports at Builth Wells continued into the 1900s and the last bicycle race there was probably at the Athletic Sports on 4th August 1909, which included one and two miles bicycle races.

** The green at Builth Wells was probably Groe Green, a grassy area on the banks of the river Wye. The cricket ground on Garth Road is still in use.


Refs     : [p]
Photos : Wiki Commons
Maps    : National Library of Scotland