Oswestry Race Course

The common is located west of Oswestry, by the B4580 road. A limited amount of parking is available at South Common, and Tanat Valley Coaches route No 78 from Oswestry also stops by the site. The common contains both informal and public footpaths, which are mostly easy grass paths with some steeper routes leading west. There is access for horseriders and a variety of picnic sites and seats. == History ==

This site is located on a hilltop called 'Cyrn y Bwch', which translates as ‘Horns of the Buck’ and was historically seen as a barrier between England and Wales. By the early 19th century, the racing was big business and it also brought large crowds, drinking, gambling and pickpockets and many people started to avoid the event. The arrival of the railways is thought to have contributed to the cessation of race meets as this enabled both horses and racegoers to travel further afield to the larger racecourses. A commemorative sculpture of a double-horse head, made by local stonemason Mark Evans, pointing both ways to bordering Wales and into England, was unveiled in August 1993. == Site characteristics and wildlife ==

Due to its elevation, there are extensive views of the surrounding countryside from the site. It has a variety of different habitats including, scrub, woodland, heathland, ponds, wildflowers and unimproved, and marshy grasslands. Oswestry Race Course was designated as a wildlife site in the 1999 Local Plan, and is officially registered as an area of common land. == References ==