Plant Sale – 2024
Annual General Meeting – 2024
Racecourse Works
We hope that the various works that have taken place this year (benches, plinths, drainage etc.) will finally be completed with the laying of tarmac to the exposed areas of the footpaths.
This is expected to take place at the end of next week (16th, 17th November) and I’m sure all our users will exercise caution around the freshly laid areas and respect the workers doing the job. In particular you should control your dogs near fresh tarmac to avoid any paw damage or irritation.
One part of the task will involve the entrance from Ruther Park which will have to be closed until the tarmac is safe to walk on. Our apologies for the extra walk involved to the next entrances (the kissing gate on Park Corner Road and from Haven Park Drive).
Annual General Meeting – 2023
Plant Sale
We are holding a Fundraising Plant Sale on 29th April.
From 11am – 2pm at the Cricket Club entrance.
All funds raised will go towards the maintenance and improvement of the Upper Racecourse so spread the word to all your friends and relatives.
Donations of plants will be gratefully received up to and on the day.
Blossom Tree Planting
We were very pleased to receive an apple tree today as a gift from the National Trust Cymru Blossom Project.
It was planted today near to the bench donated recently by Frank Langthorne in memory of our late Chairman Barbara Morgan. It will form part of a project to create a small memorial garden in her memory.
Special thanks are due to our Senedd Member, Joyce Watson, who recommended the Racecourse Trust as a suitable location and recipient for the tree and also helped to plant it.
Our thanks to Kate, Rhian and Nia from the National Trust Cymru who organised the event and attended today.
Drainage Work – Progress
After 1 week, despite the heatwave and dry ground, the drainage work continues. This should result in a football pitch that is fit to play on for much longer into the season.
Drainage Work
Work has started on improvements to the Racecourse drainage as shown on the attached map.
This should help to extend the useful playing period for both Cricket and Football.
Please take care in this area and keep dogs and children well away from working machinery. There is also a small possibility that the paths may be temporarily involved so please obey any warning signs put up by the contractor.
Access for the machinery involved will be via the Cricket Club car park so please do not obstruct the entrances at each end especially where shown as a red circle on the map.
New Tractor – Press Release from PCC on 12 July 2022
New wildflower meadows to be created in and around Haverfordwest
New areas of wildflower meadow are to be created and enhanced in and around Haverfordwest, thanks to the purchase of a new shared community tractor and mower.
The upper and lower Racecourse will be making the most use of the tractor for meadow management in the years to come, but it is also available for use at the Priory Saltings and Bridge Meadow.
Aethne Cooke, from the Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership (PNP) said: “Wildflower meadows are some of our rarest and most species-rich habitats. They are beautiful, pollinators love them, and they need less mowing that conventional lawns.
“This tractor will allow these areas to be mown and importantly for the grass cuttings to be removed, reducing nutrients which allows the wildflowers to better compete with the grasses.”
The tractor and mower were purchased via the Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership with Welsh Government Local Places for Nature grant funding.
New Tractor
We are delighted to announce the arrival of the new tractor to replace its predecessor which provided a sterling service cutting the grass for over 30 years.
The tractor comes with a new attachement, a flail mower and collector, which will be especially useful for creating and enhancing the newly planted areas of wildflower meadow.
The handover involved members of the Town Council, Councillor Alan Buckfield (the Mayor of Haverfordwest), members of the Racecourse Trust and the Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership.
Aethne Cooke from the Local Places for Nature Partnership provided the following statement to summarise the whole background to this valuable addition to our resources:
Local Places for Nature, wildflower meadow and tractor/mower
Each year, local nature partnerships across Wales receive Welsh Government Local Places for Nature grant funding. This funding is to be used for the specific purpose of creating and enhancing nature where people live and work, and where people access public services.
The Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership is delighted that it has been able to direct some of its Welsh Government Local Places for Nature grant towards purchase of this tractor and mower.
The Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership would like to thank the Haverfordwest Town Council, Haverfordwest Racecourse Public Park Trust, Portfield Recreation Committee and the Bridge Meadow Trust for working with us to make best use of this shared community tractor and mower.
The tractor and mower are to be used to create and enhance areas of wildflower meadow at the Upper & Lower Racecourse sites, and also to be made available for use at Priory Saltings and Bridge Meadow.
These green spaces are particularly important in a town setting such as Haverfordwest. We have in the last few years increased our understanding of the value of simply getting outside into nature for our physical and mental wellbeing. Creating areas of wildflower meadow in these areas will enhance this experience.
Wildflower meadows are some of our rarest and most species rich habitats. They are beautiful, pollinators love them, and they need less mowing that conventional lawns.
This tractor will allow these areas to be mown and importantly for the grass cuttings to be removed, reducing nutrients which allows the wildflowers to better compete with the grasses.
We have lost a staggering 97% of our meadows since the 1930s. These areas of meadow at both Racecourse sites, and the recently established meadow at Priory Saltings, will make an important contribution to the restoration of meadows in Pembrokeshire.
Finally, thank you to Peter Howe of PCC regeneration whose idea this was, to Gerald Rowlands of PCC Fleet Management for his invaluable help with procurement and to J E Lawrence & Son for supplying us with the tractor and mower.
