Cadwell · Louth · Lincolnshire LN11 9SE
Cadwell Park: a circuit like a country lane
Cadwell runs through the Lincolnshire Wolds on a strip of tarmac barely wider than a lane, up and over a hill steep enough that motorcycles leave the ground at the top of it. People call it the mini Nürburgring, and for once the nickname is fair.
A rise steep enough that bikes take off over the crest, front wheel in the air, in front of a bank of spectators standing a few feet away. It is the single most photographed corner in British motorcycle racing and the reason most people come.
What Cadwell is known for
Cars race here too, and it is motorcycle racing that fills the place.
The main event
The August bank holiday road races in particular draw very large crowds to a very small site.
Where they jump
Bikes leave the ground over the crest. Get there early for a spot on the bank.
Barely a lane wide
Which puts spectators genuinely close to the action, and limits what can race here.
Rural in every direction
Country lanes in, country lanes out, and no town attached.
Kent to Lincolnshire
Up the M11 or A1 and then east into the Wolds. A long run, and slow at the end.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Dartford & Bluewater | 185 miles | 3h 45m – 4h 35m |
| Bromley & Orpington | 188 miles | 3h 50m – 4h 40m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 190 miles | 3h 50m – 4h 40m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 195 miles | 3h 55m – 4h 45m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 200 miles | 4h – 4h 50m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 204 miles | 4h 5m – 4h 55m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 228 miles | 4h 30m – 5h 25m |
Country lanes and a small site
The access here is the tightest of any circuit we serve, and it is worth knowing before you set off.
| Feature | Note |
|---|---|
| Single-track approach lanes | Which back up considerably on a big bike weekend |
| A compact site | Popular viewing banks fill early. Arrive well before the first race |
| Camping on site | Common for the August bank holiday meeting |
| Limited facilities nearby | Louth is the nearest town of any size, and it is a drive |
| We drop and hold back | Coaches cannot sit on lanes like these. We agree a point in advance |
A trip to Cadwell
Arrive early or miss the bank
Cadwell is a small site with a limited number of good viewing spots, and the ones overlooking the Mountain fill hours before the racing starts. On a big bank holiday weekend the difference between arriving at eight and arriving at ten is the difference between watching bikes take off from twenty feet away and watching them over three rows of heads.
The lanes in are the bottleneck
There is no wide approach road, because there is no wide road anywhere in this part of Lincolnshire. Single-track lanes carrying a bank holiday crowd move slowly in both directions, and a coach cannot sit and wait on them. We agree a drop and collection point in advance where a large vehicle can actually stop, and we hold well back from the site.
Camping suits the big weekend
The August meeting in particular is treated as a camping weekend by a large share of the crowd, and it neatly solves the access problem: you arrive before the rush and leave after it. We drop on the way in and collect days later, which is a simpler booking and considerably cheaper than a race-day return from Kent.
Four hours means an overnight for a day meeting
At around a hundred and ninety miles with slow lanes at the end, Cadwell is not a comfortable day return. If you are not camping, Louth or Lincoln for a night makes the trip work properly, and we will price that alongside the single-day version so you can compare honestly.
Cadwell Park questions
Bikes, banks and country lanes.
What is Cadwell best known for?
Motorcycle racing, and specifically the Mountain, a crest steep enough that bikes leave the ground over it in front of spectators standing close by. The August bank holiday meeting is the big one.
How far is Cadwell from Kent?
Around a hundred and eighty-five to two hundred and thirty miles, roughly four to five and a half hours each way, with slow country lanes at the end.
Can we do it as a day return?
Not comfortably. Either camp on site for the big weekend or stay in Louth or Lincoln. We will price both alongside the day version.
What time should we arrive?
Early. The good viewing banks, particularly at the Mountain, fill hours before racing starts on a busy weekend.
Why can't you drop at the gate?
Single-track lanes serve the circuit and a coach cannot sit and wait on them. We agree a drop and collection point in advance where a large vehicle can stop safely.
Is camping common?
Very, for the August bank holiday meeting. It solves the access problem, and we drop on the way in and collect days later.
Is there anything nearby?
Not much. Louth is the nearest town of any size and it is a drive. Bring what you need for the day.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed before travel and unaffected by delays on the approach lanes.
Motorsport and the east
Circuits and country lanes.