Exeter Greyhound Stadium
| Location | Marsh Barton, Essex |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°42'31.1"N 3°31'51.2"W |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Closed | 1957 |
Exeter Greyhound Stadium also known as the Marsh Barton Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Marsh Barton, Exeter.
It is not to be confused with the County Ground Stadium that also hosted independent greyhound racing and speedway from 1930-1986.
Marsh Barton south of Exeter and north of Alphington consisted of the former Marsh Barton Priory also known as St Marys Priory (home to Augustinian Canons Regular) and Marsh Barton Lane which led to the Priory and Cottage at the turn of the 20th century. Either side to west and east was the Exeter railway and Great Western Railway respectively, the former swung in a westerly direction whilst the latter made its way south to Dawlish.
The site was selected as the ideal place for a new greyhound track with the nearby catchment area of Exeter. The stadium was constructed along the south side of Marsh Barton Lane consisting of four buildings on the home straight. Racing began Saturday 21 July 1928 and was hailed as a success by the local press, the venue was initially known as Oak Marsh before Marsh Barton was used. The first ever winner was Mr Tolkien’s Sparks. The promoter was Mr J Bonus but the track was independent (unaffiliated to a governing body) at this stage.
The racing continued over the following years until Mr Henry James Shooter the chief steward at Marsh Barton took over the betting licence in 1935. The nearby County Ground Stadium in Exeter (formerly the Devon County Athletic Ground) also hosted greyhound racing from 1935 and became a serious rival for Marsh Barton by consistently pulling in larger crowds.
After the Second World War the decision was made to race under National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) rules for the first time, with the events being conducted on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights. The final independent race took place on 14 Sep 1946 with first NGRC race just two weeks later on 28 September 1946.
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