Clocktower takes centre stage after £5m work at racecourse

IT IS a landmark familiar to racegoers.

Now the Clocktower takes centre stage after a £5m improvement atYork Racecourse.

The new season, which begins on Wednesday May 16, will see the opening of a restored grassed infield area which runs parallel to the final furlong of the track.

It will have a new name, The Clocktower Enclosure, which references the listed building which enjoys an unrivalled view of the racing action, framed against the backdrop of the stands. It replaces the term Course Enclosure.

Main contractor Lindum York has created two large modern toilet blocks at either end of the grass banking, twin canopies either side of the famous clock tower that offer catering and betting facilities as well as some racegoer cover, improved access for pushchairs and wheelchairs plus a refurbishment of the turnstiles. The scheme has been an architectural challenge, with the need to preserve the near-100-year-old listed building itself while ensuring the new facilities are raised out of the flood plain, all in the context of both a Heritage and Green Belt setting. Working closely with the City of York Council planning and conservation officers, taking guidance from Historic England, the design team has managed to retain the core features while adding modern infrastructure to deliver against 21st-century expectations.

The Clocktower building remains the focal point of the area, with the stone blockwork restored to the original vision of the architects from the late 1920s. The steel canopy that was added in the 1950s shrouded this view and it has been removed. As part of the reconfiguration, stone from the same County Durham seam has been used to form the curved walls of the new toilet blocks.

William Derby, chief executive and clerk of the course, said, “The course enclosure has always been an important and popular part of racing at York and I know it provides fond memories of summer days’ racing for many people, especially in the local community. We are delighted to have made this investment in this area of the course.”