Retford - West Retford House
24 North Rd : DN22 7XG
The first bicycle race at West Retford was on July 5th 1869 at the Retford Band of Hope and Temperance Society meeting on the 23 acre West Retford House estate, the home of HBW Milner, who was a banker. Over four thousand people travelled to the event and watched a bicycle race, on a grass track 400 yards around, which was won by Hammond of Gainsborough for a prize of £2. There was also a velocipede race with three competitors. Entertainment was provided by the Brothers and Madame Nemo, Japanese jugglers, St Leon and Rouess, Ethiopian artistes, acrobats and comic singers.
This was probably the only bicycle racing at West Retford House. Part of the estate was developed for housing and a nursing home in the 1960s and the house is now a hotel.
Refs :
[601] [p]
Photos :
British Library
Maps :
National Library of Scotland
