Mallory Park

Mallory Park at a glance

Location

Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire

Type

road course

Length

2.269 km (1.41 mi)

Turns

13

Direction

clockwise

Surface

asphalt

Opened

1956

Owner

MotorSport Vision (MSV)

Address

Mallory Park Circuit, Church Road, Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire, LE9 7QE

Phone

+44 1455 502214

Website

malloryparkcircuit.com

Track map and layout

Mallory Park is one of the shortest and most compact permanent circuits in Britain, tucked into a natural bowl of parkland in rural Leicestershire and built originally as a grass track before being surfaced in 1956. The main car layout is just 1.35 miles with only five corners, dominated by the huge, sweeping Gerards Bend that takes up nearly half the lap, while the 1.41-mile, 13-turn Superbike configuration adds the Devil's Elbow and two chicanes to slow motorcycles through the same footprint. A separate 1-mile, four-turn Oval layout is used for club oval racing. Nicknamed 'the friendly circuit,' Mallory's small scale and lake-side setting make it one of the most accessible tracks in the country for spectators and novice track-day drivers alike.

Named corners and sections

• Gerards Bend. A long, roughly 200-degree right-hander named after pre-war racing driver Bob Gerard; the defining feature of the lap, taking up much of the circuit's length.
• Shaw's Corner (The Hairpin). A very tight 180-degree hairpin, often described as one of the tightest corners on any UK circuit.
• Devil's Elbow. A downhill, off-camber left-hander used on the Superbike configuration, demanding a confident line.
• Edwina's Chicane. A chicane added specifically to slow motorcycles for the Superbike layout.
• Bus Stop Chicane. A further speed-reducing chicane feature used on the longer motorcycle configuration.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Mallory Park has a long motorcycle racing pedigree, having hosted the Race of the Year meeting for decades and remaining a fixture on the British club and championship motorcycle calendar, alongside its long-running Festival of Sidecars. Car racing includes BRSCC and 750 Motor Club club championships, historic race meetings and sprints. In 2026 - the circuit's 70th anniversary year - the Festival of 1000 Bikes was revived as a major new fixture on the July calendar.

Getting there and parking

Mallory Park is off the A47 between Leicester and Hinckley, close to the M1 (junction 21) and M69 (junction 3). Hinckley railway station is the nearest, about five miles away, with onward taxi or bus connections to the circuit. East Midlands Airport is roughly 30 minutes' drive to the north.

• East Midlands Airport (EMA) · about 30 min drive
• Birmingham Airport (BHX) · about 45 min drive

Parking

A large spectator car park surrounds the circuit and is free for most events; arrive early for headline motorcycle meetings such as the Festival of 1000 Bikes.

Because the circuit is so compact, spectators can walk between vantage points quickly during a race meeting; check the calendar first, as many weekdays are closed track days rather than public events.

Hotels and camping near Mallory Park

Hinckley, about five to six miles away, and Leicester, a little further, have the widest choice of chain hotels, and the circuit's own accommodation page lists a handful of closer options, including a bed-and-breakfast in Kirkby Mallory village itself just a short walk from the gate. Book ahead for the Festival of 1000 Bikes and other headline motorcycle weekends, when local rooms fill quickly.

Where to look

Kirkby Mallory village (walking distance, limited B&B options), Hinckley (5-6 miles, wider hotel choice including a Travelodge and Premier Inn), and Leicester for a larger range of hotels further afield.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Mallory Park runs a regular programme of car and motorcycle track days, including its own James Whitham motorcycle training days aimed at coaching riders, plus weekly Wednesday afternoon open-practice sessions for ACU licence holders. No Limits Trackdays is a regular own-bike provider at the circuit, and national brokers such as Trackdays.co.uk also list car and bike dates.

Who runs days here

• No Limits Trackdaysmotorcycle
• James Whitham Track Daysmotorcycle
• Trackdays.co.uk (multi-organiser booking)both

Lap records

Spectator guide

Mallory Park's compact, bowl-like setting around a central lake means almost the whole lap is visible from banking on the outside of the circuit, making it one of the easiest British tracks to watch from. It's a popular, family-friendly day out thanks to its small scale, though there's little shelter from the weather.

Best places to watch

The banking overlooking Gerards Bend gives sight of nearly half the lap in one view; the area around the lake is a popular general vantage point.

Weather

• Jun-Aug: mild summer weather typical of the East Midlands
• Oct: cooler and often damp for the Festival of Sidecars; pack accordingly

History of Mallory Park

From grass track to tarmac

Mallory Park began life as a grass circuit used for pony trotting and motorcycle grass-track racing on farmland near the village of Kirkby Mallory in rural Leicestershire. The site was surfaced with tarmac and opened as a permanent hard-surface circuit on 26 April 1956, quickly establishing itself as one of the smallest but busiest race tracks in the country thanks to its compact, bowl-shaped layout around a central lake.

A national motorcycle and car venue

Through the 1960s and 1970s Mallory Park built a strong reputation in motorcycle racing, hosting the prestigious Race of the Year meeting that drew leading riders from Britain and abroad, while also staging Formula Two, Formula Three and other single-seater and touring car racing. Its centrepiece Gerards Bend, a huge sweeping right-hander taking up nearly half the short lap, became one of the most recognisable corners in British club racing. The circuit even hosted the UCI Road World Championships cycling event in 1970, a rare departure from motorsport.

Ownership and specialisation

Mallory Park passed through several owners over the decades before coming under the control of MotorSport Vision (MSV), which also owns Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Snetterton and Cadwell Park. Rather than compete for major national car championships, the circuit carved out a niche as one of Britain's premier motorcycle venues, home to the long-running Festival of Sidecars and a packed calendar of club car and bike racing, track days and rider training.

Present day

Now in its eighth decade, Mallory Park marked its 70th anniversary in 2026 by reviving the Festival of 1000 Bikes as a major new event on its July calendar. Known affectionately as "the friendly circuit," it remains one of the most accessible and well-loved smaller tracks in British motorsport, prized by riders and drivers for its tight, technical, low-cost lap.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Donington Park · 26 km · road course
• Birmingham Superprix · 41 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• Rockingham Motor Speedway · 47 km · historic circuit (dormant)
• Silverstone Circuit · 63 km · road course
• Bedford Autodrome · 71 km · road course
• Oulton Park · 107 km · road course