Praise For "Magnificent" role in York Racecourse Development
The pivotal role played
by York Handmade Brick in the stunning transformation of the southern end of
York Racecourse has been highlighted by the racecourse’s Chief Executive.
William Derby praised the
award-winning York Handmade for the company’s “magnificent contribution” to the
multi-million-pound project, which comprised a significant upgrade to the 1913
Bustardthorpe Stand and the brand-new Roberto Pavilion
The company, based at
Alne, near Easingwold, supplied 70,000 bricks to the racecourse from its pioneering
Ebor Range. The contract was worth £80,000.
William Derby commented:
“York Handmade Brick is our brick supplier of choice and has been for some
time. The previous development of the Northern End of the racecourse and transformation
of the parade ring, weighing room and saddling boxes also used York Handmade
and resulted in award-winning, world-class facilities for horses, jockeys and
racegoers in 2015/16.
“We wanted the Southern
End development of our buildings at York to complement the quality and heritage
of this development as part of our twenty year masterplan to transform the
facility at York Racecourse as one of the best racecourses in the world. The transformation of the Southern End of the
racecourse has now been completed and will be officially opened at the flagship
Sky Bet Ebor Festival next month (21-24 August). We are thrilled with the finish, quality and
architectural these high-quality bricks give to the area which will improve the
facilities and race day experience for our racegoers.
“We are proud to have
worked in partnership with York Handmade Brick to deliver this scheme. Their
contribution has been magnificent and strengthens what is already a brilliant
relationship between us. It is wonderful to have such an accomplished quality
brick-manufacturing company on our doorstep.
“A key element of this
new development is our emphasis on sustainability as part of our Green
Knavesmire 300 commitment to the environment. With an eye on both the local
economy and the inherent sustainability benefits, some 90 per cent of the works
have been undertaken by Yorkshire firms, including the main contractors Lindum
and, of course, York Handmade. Sustainability has been embedded into the design
and construction with solar panels, rainwater harvesting and a living roof all
incorporated. A newly created and landscaped 900 square metre lawn area is
covered by a canopy structure, six metres above the heads of racegoers, to give
both the outdoor feel of a summer afternoon’s racing while offering protection
from the elements.”
Guy Armitage, managing
director of York Handmade, the leading independent brickmaker in the north of
England, commented: “This was a very significant project for us. Apart from
enhancing our special relationship with York Racecourse and helping to create
even more superb facilities at one of the greatest racecourses in the world, it
is a showcase for our brand-new Ebor Range of bricks.
“This brick has a
smoother finish than our standard texture bricks and is perfect for matching
the style of the bricks on the historic outer wall of the racecourse designed
by Walter Brierley, the Yorkshire Lutyens. The blend of colour is based on the
Knavesmire Blend supplied for the earlier Northern End development in 2015-16.
“This project was also a
massive endorsement of our recent £1.5 million investment in brand-new machinery which
has transformed how we make our bricks. Over the years, we have
undertaken significant technological improvements, culminating in this overhaul
and renewal of our manufacturing process, which has speeded up production,
facilitated two brand-new products and increased efficiency.
“This has played a major
part in the success of this contract with York Racecourse, a stunning example of what we are able to manufacture with
our brand-new plant,”
he added.
Apart from the new lawns
and open-air canopy structure, the area next to the refurbished Bustardthorpe
Stand and Roberto Pavilion now features catering facilities, betting
facilities, toilets and a new wrought iron gate that remembers Yorkshire
owner-breeder, Reg Bond. The Roberto Pavilion itself provide racegoers with a
high specification bar, feature fish and chip shop, Tote and William Hill
betting booths and a new Pimm’s bar.