Great Western Coffee Shop

Work out the connection between these stations, closed and open, then give the connection in each case.

Not a subject that I have an interest in, but a paper/map exercise.


1.   Barnham
2.   Amesbury
3.   Singleton
4.   Fakenham West
5   Wilton South
6   Kemp Town
7.   Aldershot
8.   Cooksbridge
9.   Gatwick

Well ... I've ranged from Scrabble scores to donkey sanctuaries and not found the connection.  Won't tell you all the other things I have tried as some might crop up on a later day.

This should give it away:

10.     Ascot West

or at least the overall connection

Racecourses. Some stations built for, some not.

Lets say racing, the sport of kings, rather than just racecourses. Some will not fit the racecourse definition.

Stations which handled racehorse traffic for nearby racecourses (or in Aldershot's case, Tweseldown point to point course?)

The Army don't do racecourses. Just attach a "track" to each station.

Two individual connections

10.   Ascot West             Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire

7.   Aldershot             Tweseldown Point to point

Sid-

Do you mind multiple answers?

I'll give you Barnham for Fontwell Park in the meantime.

Here's a couple more -

3. Singleton: Goodwood racecourse, West Sussex
8.  Cooksbridge: Lewes racecourse, East Sussex, last used 1964 (but perhaps also Plumpton racecourse for a few years before Plumpton station opened).

After a couple of days I am not fussed about multiple answers, assuming Stuving has'nt nabbed your thoughts

1.   Barnham          Fontwell Park Racecourse
          Used to go by it in the car when I was a kid. I would never have connected to Barnham until I looked at the map.

3.   Singleton             Goodwood Racecourse
         Used to go there quite often in younger years when I ran an ex-Services Land-Rover and the Potters used to sell parts from there. The history and Royal connections has interested me since. Goodwood is an interesting course (to somebody with no interest in horse racing) they used to turf over the public road for the finish. I end up almost there cycling up the Centurion Way, not sure I will be around to see Singleton Tunnel reopen to extend the Centurion Way.

8.   Cooksbridge             Plumpton Racecourse
         Could have also been Lewes as well. Sorry, this wasn't done with an eye to scientific/cartographic accuracy. I thought Lewes station might have been a bit too obvious. (Similar could apply to some of the others).

The grandstand at Lewes, and most of the course except he start, was slightly closer to Cooksbridge station than Lewes which is on the other side of town. As for Plumpton - platform 1 runs along the north side of the course, so why there was a special racecourse platform a little to the west is hard to fathom.

Thanks Sid - let's see if we can go through the rest of the card.

2 - Amesbury - Larkhill (point to point)
4 - Fakenham West - Fakenham
5 - Wilton South - Salisbury
6 - Kemp Town - Brighton
10 - Gatwick - had to look this one up - Gatwick racecourse, closed 1939.

2.   Amesbury         Larkhill Point to point

4.   Fakenham West       Fakenham Racecourse
5   Wilton South          Salisbury Racecourse
6   Kemp Town          Brighton Racecourse

9.   Gatwick         Gatwick Racecourse

Very good, hope it kept you amused for a while.