Cadwell Park

Cadwell Park at a glance

Location

Louth, Lincolnshire

Type

road course

Length

3.508 km (2.18 mi)

Turns

19

Direction

clockwise

Surface

asphalt

Opened

1934

Owner

MotorSport Vision (MSV)

Address

Louth Road, Cadwell

Phone

+44 344 225 4422

Website

cadwellpark.co.uk

Track map and layout

Cadwell Park is tucked into a steep-sided valley in the Lincolnshire Wolds, and its severe gradient changes have earned it the nickname 'the mini-Nurburgring'. The Full Circuit runs clockwise over roughly 3.5 km (18 turns for cars, 19 for bikes) and starts with the Hall Bends before the Gooseneck twists uphill into Charlies and Park, leading to the circuit's most famous feature: the Mountain, a blind, cresting rise where motorcycles regularly become airborne for several feet before landing through Mansfield corner. The lap continues down through Chris Curve and Coppice before Barn and the run back to the start-finish straight. The Woodland Circuit (1.365 km, 9 turns) cuts out the Mountain and outer loop for a shorter, tighter club lap, while the Club Circuit (2.375 km, 10 turns) uses a different, longer subset of the full lap for national-level club racing.

Named corners and sections

• The Mountain. A blind, cresting rise that is Cadwell Park's signature feature; motorcycles frequently become airborne for several feet as they crest it at speed.
• Mansfield. The corner immediately after the Mountain, named after circuit founder Mansfield Wilkinson, where riders must land and gather the bike.
• Charlies. A demanding, off-camber corner on the uphill section of the lap leading towards the Mountain.
• Coppice. A wooded, tightening corner in the lower section of the valley.
• Gooseneck. A tight, twisting climb early in the lap that sets the rhythm for the uphill section.
• Hall Bends. A sweeping sequence near the start-finish straight, named after nearby Cadwell Park House.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Cadwell Park's headline event is the British Superbike Championship, which has raced there almost every year since 1995 and returns each August; the circuit's tight, undulating layout and the Mountain jump make it one of the most popular rounds on the BSB calendar with riders and fans alike. Historic racing has a long history at Cadwell too, including the Vintage Sports-Car Club's meetings and the Wolds Trophy, and the circuit also has a long-running association with the British Formula 3 Championship, which raced there through the 1950s to 1980s.

Getting there and parking

Cadwell Park sits in the Lincolnshire Wolds about 5 miles south of Louth, off the A153 and A16. There is no station at the circuit; Market Rasen and Lincoln are the nearest, with a taxi from Market Rasen taking just under 30 minutes. Humberside Airport, roughly 26 miles away, is the closest airport, with East Midlands Airport a longer 77-mile alternative for wider flight choice.

• Humberside Airport (HUY) · about 40 min drive
• East Midlands Airport (EMA) · about 90 min drive

Parking

General parking is available in fields around the circuit and usually included with event tickets; the rural approach roads are narrow, so arrive early for BSB weekends.

Because Cadwell Park has no nearby station, visitors travelling by train should plan a pre-booked taxi from Market Rasen or Lincoln rather than relying on public transport on the day.

Hotels and camping near Cadwell Park

Cadwell Park's own campsite is the accommodation most visitors use for BSB weekends, with extra fields opened up for camping at the circuit's busiest events, since options directly on site are otherwise limited. For a hotel or B&B, Louth is the nearest town with a decent range of choice a short drive away, and the wider Lincolnshire Wolds countryside has country pubs and inns, some within walking distance of the gates, plus a wider hotel selection around Horncastle and Lincoln.

Where to look

Louth is the nearest town with a useful choice of hotels, around 5 miles away; country pubs and inns in the surrounding villages, including one within a five-minute walk of the circuit, offer closer options, with a wider range of accommodation in Horncastle and Lincoln for those willing to drive further.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Cadwell Park is widely regarded as the UK's favourite bike track day circuit thanks to its flowing, technical layout and the thrill of the Mountain, and MSV runs bike track days most weeks of the season through MSV Trackdays, including shorter evening sessions in summer. Car track days also run regularly on the Full and Club circuits, with third-party organisers such as Circuit Days and No Limits Trackdays also booking the venue.

Who runs days here

• MSV Trackdays (car)car
• MSV Trackdays (bike)motorcycle
• No Limits Trackdaysmotorcycle
• Circuit Dayscar

Typical cost: Third-party car and bike track days from around £199 per day depending on organiser

Lap records

Spectator guide

Cadwell Park's valley setting gives spectators dramatic banking views down into the circuit, and the Mountain is by far its biggest draw: fans line the banks around Mansfield corner specifically to watch bikes take off over the crest. The wooded, undulating terrain means many vantage points show several corners at once rather than a single straight.

Seating

Viewing areas take their names from nearby corners, including Charlies, Mansfield, Park and Coppice, with the banking above the Mountain the most sought-after spot on BSB weekends.

Best places to watch

The grass banking around the Mountain and Mansfield corner offers the clearest view of bikes launching off the circuit's signature jump.

Weather

• August (BSB): typically warm, highs around 19-21°C, with a chance of showers

History of Cadwell Park

From family farm track to national circuit

Cadwell Park began in 1934 when Mansfield Wilkinson laid out a rough gravel track on his family's land in the Lincolnshire Wolds so his sons could race motorcycles. Tarmac and concrete surfacing was added in 1938, and the circuit grew through the 1950s, extending to 1.25 miles by 1953 and drawing crowds reported around 30,000 for 500cc Formula 3 racing. The circuit reached its modern length in 1961 with the addition of Donington Curve, creating the roughly 2.2-mile Full Circuit still raced today, and it became a fixture of the British Formula 3 Championship through the following decades.

The Mountain and a growing reputation

Cadwell's steep valley setting and severe gradient changes, most famously the blind crest known as the Mountain, where motorcycles are regularly launched airborne, gave the circuit a character unlike any other in Britain and earned it comparisons to the Nurburgring. The British Superbike Championship became a near-annual visitor from 1995, and the tight, technical layout has made Cadwell Park a particular favourite of motorcycle racers and track-day riders, who rate it among the best bike circuits in the country.

Life under MotorSport Vision

MotorSport Vision bought Cadwell Park from Octagon Sports in January 2004, adding it to a portfolio that grew to include Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Oulton Park, Snetterton and Bedford Autodrome. Under MSV the circuit has continued to host British Superbike Championship rounds each August alongside historic racing events including the Vintage Sports-Car Club's meetings and the Wolds Trophy, plus a packed year-round programme of car and bike track days. The circuit has also featured in television and film production, including episodes of Top Gear and Fifth Gear and location filming for the 2013 movie Rush.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Rockingham Motor Speedway · 97 km · historic circuit (dormant)
• Donington Park · 103 km · road course
• Oliver's Mount · 108 km · road course
• Snetterton Circuit · 116 km · road course
• Mallory Park · 116 km · road course
• Bedford Autodrome · 123 km · road course