Flight Simulator Flights at EG49 Haydock Park

Haydock Park is a small grass airstrip located within the grounds of Haydock Park Racecourse in Merseyside, North West England. It offers a pair of grass runways suited to light aircraft, set amid parkland between Haydock, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Golborne and Newton-le-Willows, and is best known as an occasional means of arrival for visitors to the racecourse rather than as a conventional airfield.

Overview

Haydock Park is a grass airstrip situated inside the racecourse of the same name, one of the principal Flat and National Hunt venues in North West England. The strip exists primarily to serve the racecourse, allowing light aircraft to bring visitors in on race days, and its close association with a major sporting venue gives it a distinctive character among small British airfields.

Airspace & Location

The airstrip lies within the racecourse grounds in Merseyside, in an area of parkland bounded by the town of Haydock to the west, Ashton-in-Makerfield to the north, Golborne to the east and Newton-le-Willows to the south.

Runways

Haydock Park has a single grass runway pair, 10/28, with runway 10 measuring 2182 ft and runway 28 measuring 2178 ft, both surfaced in grass. The field elevation is 80 ft and there is no instrument landing system.

Visual Reference Points

The racecourse itself, set within parkland and bounded by the towns of Haydock, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Golborne and Newton-le-Willows, serves as the principal visual landmark for locating the airstrip.

History

Horse racing in the area dates back many years before the current course opened in 1899, with much of its early development overseen by Sydney Sandon, who served as course secretary, chairman and managing director in the early twentieth century. The racecourse has long included an airstrip, noted in aviation guides as usable for light aircraft, reflecting the venue's tradition of welcoming visitors arriving by air on race days.

The Airfield Today

The racecourse continues to host Flat and National Hunt racing throughout the year, and its grass airstrip remains available for light aircraft, chiefly to support race-day traffic.