Overview

PLEASE SEE AND READ OUR ADVICE ON THE FIRST PHOTO WE HAVE FOR YOU. This is regarded as one of the small racecourses with horse jumping events all through the year. If you are local to Worcester, then we feel sure you will enjoy your day here, but if you have to travel a long way, then we suggest you don’t bother, there are far better courses you can visit and we have already reviewed or will be doing so over the next 18 months, and we will provide details for you. You will gather from our notes and photos, this is not a course we recommend, but as for the hospitality dining, this was excellent, top marks, and you will enjoy this experience. However, do read our full review, you will learn such a lot. Thoroughbred Horse racing has taken place here at Worcester for around 300 years, since at least 1718, on the area known as Pitchcroft, which is very close to the City centre. The river Severn flows directly next to the racecourse, and flooding of the area can be a problem. The racing itself started as Steeplechasing, that is, racing from one church Steeple to another, but interest wained after 1866, when the then patronage Lord Coventry had one of his horses collide with a stray pony on the track. Slowly the track lost its appeal, and barely continued up to 1933. Fortunately, from the mid 1970’s, good prize money events attracted top trainers and their horses, and things improved for many years, but again declined in the mid 1980s. What has helped this track to keep going was the introduction of summer jumping events introduced in 1995, and over the last 20 years, good crowds can now be seen at each event. This is a nice flat level course on a left handed oval circuit of some 2,625 metres, with nine fences, four of these in the home straight, and you are able to follow the horses all around the track, or by at least watching on the only one large trackside screen near the finishing post. ====================================== We suggest you now follow us as we tell you about each of the photos we provide. NOW SET YOUR SATNAV TO, Worcester racecourse, Severn Terrace, WR1 3EJ PHOTO ONE Our advice about encouraging you NOT TO GAMBLE, because you can still enjoy racing without getting involved with this habit, racing is still as exciting just pretending to pick the winner, and it will teach you about horses and the sport anyway, so do enjoy the day. If you can afford it, then do as we do, we book a “Hospitality experience” which is ideal for a disabled person, because it first of all gives you places you are able to go to, you are away from the crowds because you are seated at a table in the restaurants that are at the race courses, and that seat is yours for the whole day. You can also go down onto the Concourse and any of the stands as this is included on your hospitality programme, and you may also wander around the pre-race parade ground and see the horses close up and watch them come into the winners enclosure after the race, which is a nice experience in itself, so you just choose what you want to do for the day, before going back to your own seat to watch the racing inside. The dining includes a three course meal, excellently prepared by top chefs, and served usually by young staff who are being trained at local university or collages, so they are dead keen to impress, and it certainly is good value. The smaller racecourses are ideal, as the cost of a hospitality event is not much more than you pay at a good restaurant anyway, but of course, the top named racecourses can get a bit expensive, but we try to pick one of the quieter race days when the top horses are not there, but the overall experience is just as good, and you get to see these courses, such as Goodwood, Cheltenham, Aintree, Ascot, Newmarket, and the delightful courses of Chester and York, and Bath. ============================================ PHOTO 2. This is the only entrance unto the racecourse itself, standing at the car park entry for Severn Terrace, and all race goers have to come in this way, so this tells you it’s going to be very busy, with long trailing queues off the main Worcester Bridge roads, so allow yourself plenty of time to arrive here, be early, the gates for the course itself will open two hours before the first race, so try to get here as early as possible. BY THE WAY, A THOUGHT FOR YOU TO KEEP IN MIND AS WELL. This is the only way out from the Car park, and it can take around thirty minutes to get out of the car park itself, with cars pushing in front of your queue from all angles which does cause hot feelings for all concerned, so either leave before the last race, or hang around with a glass in hand for that half hour. THATS OUR ADVICE. =================================== PHOTOs 3 and 4. You will drive out of the public carpark though the gates, and then cross the actual racecourse itself, and over the layed artificial mulched materials, no problem for cars, and stewards will direct you to your parking area, which you can see ahead of the main stand on the photo. PHOTO 5 Disabled will be parked near to the main stand, but it still means your carer will have to push you over the compressed dirt soil and also you will have to take your scooter over this area, which can be messy after heavy rain. Then you will cross the actual course again, but at least it will have some covering of sorts, until you reach the tarmac areas by the entrance. PHOTO 6 is the main stand concourse which you need to cross, its tarmac but it does slope up from the grass of the racecourse itself and up towards the main stand, which we found difficult for the wheelchair as the wheels kept trying to follow the slope, so my wife, my carer, struggled here, and no stewards or other help was offered. PHOTO 7. First of all though, you will have to stand in the queue at the stalls either to buy tickets on the day itself, or to have your pre-paid E-ticket scanned at the side of the stalls. It’s painfully slow, only two bored chaps were doing the scanning. Photo 8. Head for the main stand. If you have bought a ticket for this area, there are no seating provided, your carer will have to stand until you depart. Buying of food or drinks can be bought either inside the stand or alongside it and beyond this stand. PHOTOS 9 and 10. The main concourse area will be quite full in a while with race goers wanting a good view as horses race past, or those who wish to book with a bookmaker, their little stands will be found near the race fences. Food stalls are alongside the main stand, and along towards the pre-race parade ground. Notice the seating areas behind the tents, or further along in dedicated pre-paid seating areas on plastic white seats, uncomfortable over the full day, and no shade or protection can be had. ================================= LET US NOW REVIEW THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR RACEDAY VISIT PHOTOs 11 and 12. SEVERN RESTAURANT AND HOSPITALITY. to the right hand corner of the main stand you will find the entrance for the “County enclosure” and Severn suite, which has a level entrance, the doors will already be opened. Inside you will find a small lift, just about big enough for wheelchair and small scooters, large scooters may well struggle to get in. Take the lift up to the second floor. Staff will help with holding the doors open for you so that you may enter into the open planned Severn restaurant. PHOTO 13. Your table will already have been selected for you by the hospitality team, and they are either two seats, four, or for large parties. All details will be on your table such as menus, drinks list and a race card of all runners today. PHOTO 14. The deco is simple but pleasing, carpeted floors, plush seats. PHOTO 15. Tables for two are available, and staff will have tried to seat you if possible at a table they felt would suit you. OUR TIP. When booking for Hospitality, request a table by the track viewing window seats, for two or four. The team will have tried to do this for you in advance, but cannot guaranty your request, but it will not be by not trying for you. PHOTO 15. Our table was for two, but at the back of the restaurant, overlooking the dirty river Severn, with a rare visit by a swan or two and just one small tourist boat that passed by below us, not very exciting. Being at this table allowed our wheelchair to be placed behind Dennis so he could alternate between sitting at the table, or resting in the wheelchair, and we were out of the way. Starters soon arrived long before the first race, Veronica chose the cured salmon and king prawn terrine, avocado and cucumber salsa, watercress, lemon oil. Dennis selected the Baba Ghonoush and Harissa parfait, pickled vegetables, curly endive, crisp flat bread with a chilli dressing. Both very nice starters. PHOTO 16. Time to select your choice of horse for today, so the large party of men only race goers sat quietly to think things out, choosing from there race card,. PHOTO 17. Then placing their bets at the tote table behind us all. ========================================== OUR REVIEW NOW OF THE HOSPITALTY EXPERIENCE. The suite was small in a long but thin room, nicely decorated in plain simply colours with warm seating colours. Only the front two rows could look out through the large glass partitions, while those seats further back had to make do with one or two small tv sets placed above heads, but far too small and to far apart to really be of any use. From our table, we could not see the picture, to far away, sound inadequate, and no screens in front of us who were seated at table for two along the rear wall overlooking the river behind us. The noise level of fellow quests was far to noisy, we never heard the commentary, and had to rely on a tv screen against the side wall which only offered final placing of three horses and their odds. Very poor attention by the organisers towards providing attention for the needs of those at the rear of the room, it really needs tv screens above these tables for two to allow at least a measure of seeing what was happening during the race itself. Lots of complaints were being made to the hospitality team. So for marks as regards being able to see the actual races, poor, from our seats we never heard the commentary, never saw pictures of race on tv, being disabled we could not go forward to try to see between heads of others standing to try to see the race through the glass partitions, so very, VERY disappointing as far as racing was concerned. I personally spoke with all the hospitality team about the disappointing way the room was laid out for guests being able to see or hear the races, and others spoke up long and strong about the loss of what we came to do, enjoy racing. We will not attend this racecourse again, and from what we gathered when guest were discussing the restaurant, I doubt if others will return either. HOWEVER, the dining experience was excellent, lovely menu, well presented, staff team did so well for us all, so that will gain full marks from us. =============================================== PHOTO 18. Half finished dinner, I forgot to take photo. But an excellent menu again for us both, Veronica had Ballatine of chicken with tarragon mousseline, thyme fondant potato, grilled asparagus, wilted baby spinach, confit plum tomato, Madeira sauce. Dennis had Cannon of beef sirloin, wild mushroom brisket Bon Bon, Dauphinoise potato, glazed carrot spear, Ruccoli, red wine sauce. We both finished our delightful and satisfying dinner with cheese board each, English mature cheddar, Cromwell Bishop, Somerset Brie, celery, ale chutney, savoury biscuits and butter. Top marks to the chef and his team. =================================== PHOTOs 19 and 20. Now to the business of finding winners and watch them come home in a dash for the finishing point. Then our day was over, and time to head home, facing that traffic problem we have told you about already. =================================== Saddly, Worcester was not a successful review for you, and we will not be recommending a visit here for you, the team have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to put things right. However, we will look forward to offering more reviews of horse racing in the weeks ahead for you, we have already booked and paid for hospitality at Bath, which we hear is a nice course and super hospitality arrangements, then we will return to Goodwood again, of which we have already provided a review for you to read, but this time, instead of being in the members lounge, we will be trying their hospitality at the 1707 restaurant. Then we go to Warwick racecourse to end our 2024 season, so look out for our forthcoming reviews about these events.

Transport & Parking

Not impressed by its parking arrangements, and standing just outside the city centre, the traffic will create problems for you to get to the course, so allow plenty of time to get onto the carpark. But after the last race, it’s a nightmare getting out onto the roads nearby. There is only one entrance and exit path to get you onto the “Severn Terrace” The parking is on hard compressed dirt, unlevel, and would be difficult for wheelchairs and scooters after heavy rainfall.

Access

You have to drive over hard compressed ground, then it’s a bit of a push for a wheelchair, scooters will cope well if soil is dry, but you have to cross the race track and along to gates, then it’s on tarmac, but the ground slopes up towards the main stand and entrance to lift area, so carer will need to be able to cope with this. The main stand has no seating areas, so pay a little more to allow you all to seat on plastic chairs in dedicated areas beyond the main stand. If a hot sunny day, there is no shade here though, and those with you would then have to stand all day underneath the main stand area if you wanted shade.

Toilets

Staff

Ground staff were not to helpful, but those in hospitality suites were excellent.

Photos