Circuit of Wales
Circuit of Wales at a glance
- Location
- Ebbw Vale, Wales
- Type
- proposed (never built)
- Length
- 5.63 km (3.5 mi)
- Turns
- 21
- Surface
- asphalt (planned, never laid)
Track map and layout
Circuit of Wales never got past the drawing board, but its plans called for a 3.50-mile (5.63km), 21-turn circuit built to FIA and FIM Grade A standards on reclaimed former opencast coal-mining land in the hills above Ebbw Vale, specifically designed to be fast and wide enough to attract MotoGP, World Superbikes, motocross world championship rounds and top-tier car series such as the World Touring Car Championship. It was planned alongside a technology and business park intended to anchor thousands of jobs in one of Wales's most economically deprived areas. None of it was ever built: no tarmac was laid, no grandstands erected, and the site today is unmarked hillside pasture with the scars of its mining past still visible, not a racing circuit in any physical sense.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Planned circuit (never built) | 5.63 km | The only design ever put through planning; construction never started |
Events and race weekends
No event of any kind was ever held at Circuit of Wales, because the circuit itself was never built. Developers signed a five-year deal to host the British round of MotoGP at the venue from 2015 to 2019, with an option to extend, but construction delays meant that agreement was never fulfilled and Silverstone continued hosting the British Grand Prix throughout. There is no annual event, and none is planned.
Getting there and parking
There is no venue to travel to: Circuit of Wales was never constructed, so there are no gates, access roads or facilities on the ground at Ebbw Vale connected to the project. The wider Ebbw Vale and Blaenau Gwent area is reachable from Cardiff and the M4 corridor, but that is true of any visit to the town and has no specific connection to the abandoned scheme.
There is nothing purpose-built to see on site; the land is unmarked former mining and agricultural ground, not a preserved or signposted circuit site.
Hotels and camping near Circuit of Wales
No accommodation pattern exists around Circuit of Wales because no venue, and therefore no events, were ever built; anyone visiting Ebbw Vale for other reasons would use the same options as any visitor to the South Wales valleys, based in Ebbw Vale itself or in Cardiff for a wider choice.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
There has never been any public track-day, HPDE or ride-day access to Circuit of Wales, since the circuit itself was never built.
Spectator guide
No spectator event has ever taken place at Circuit of Wales; the project collapsed years before any construction, so there was never a grandstand, viewing area or ticketed race to describe.
History of Circuit of Wales
A £280 million plan for the Valleys
Circuit of Wales was unveiled in late 2011 by the Heads of the Valleys Development Company, led by chief executive Michael Carrick, as an FIA/FIM Grade A-standard racing circuit on former opencast coal-mining land above Ebbw Vale, paired with a technology and business park promoted as capable of creating up to 6,000 jobs in one of the UK's most deprived local economies. Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council unanimously approved planning permission in July 2013, and developers signed a five-year deal to bring the British round of MotoGP to the venue from 2015, with Silverstone continuing to host the race in the meantime.
Years of delay and ballooning costs
That interim arrangement became permanent. Estimated construction costs rose from an initial £200-280 million to over £350-425 million as the scheme dragged on, and developers needed the Welsh Government to underwrite a loan guarantee of around £210 million because private backers, including insurer Aviva, would not commit without public risk-sharing - by 2016 Aviva reportedly could not guarantee even a fifth of a proposed £357 million package. The project also drew sustained opposition from environmental groups including the Gwent Wildlife Trust and Brecon Beacons National Park, and from the Association of Motor Racing Circuit Owners.
Rejected, wound down, unbuilt
In June 2017 the Welsh Government formally rejected the £210 million guarantee as too financially risky, redirecting £100 million instead towards a separate automotive business park plan. A Senedd committee later criticised Welsh Government decision-making on the project as containing 'inexplicable decisions.' With no funding secured, the developer applied in September 2018 to renew its lapsed planning consent, but by then had entered a Company Voluntary Arrangement with reported debts over £30 million, and the scheme never restarted.
The site today
Circuit of Wales exists only as planning documents, renderings and news coverage. The proposed site remains undeveloped hillside, and by 2024 Blaenau Gwent Council was drawing up plans to fold the land into its Local Development Plan for industrial or agricultural use, closing the door on a decade of ambition to bring MotoGP to Wales.
Frequently asked questions
Was Circuit of Wales ever built?+
No. Despite planning permission being granted in 2013 and years of funding negotiations, construction never started and no part of the circuit was ever laid.
Why did Circuit of Wales collapse?+
The Welsh Government rejected a requested £210 million loan guarantee in June 2017, judging the financial risk too high after estimated costs had risen well beyond the original £280 million projection; without that backing, private investment never materialised.
Did Circuit of Wales ever host MotoGP?+
No. Developers signed a five-year deal to host the British round of MotoGP from 2015, but construction delays meant it never happened, and Silverstone continued hosting the race throughout.
What is at the Circuit of Wales site now?+
Undeveloped former opencast mining land above Ebbw Vale; as of 2024 the local council was planning to designate it for industrial or agricultural use rather than motorsport.
How big was Circuit of Wales meant to be?+
The plans called for a 3.50-mile (5.63km), 21-turn circuit built to FIA and FIM Grade A standards, alongside a separate technology and business park.
Could Circuit of Wales still be built one day?+
There is no active proposal as of 2026; the local council's move to reclassify the site for other uses in its development plan makes a future racing circuit on that land unlikely.
Other tracks nearby
- Aberdare Park · 18 km · road course
- Pembrey Circuit · 75 km · road course
- Castle Combe Circuit · 79 km · road course
- Birmingham Superprix · 118 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Thruxton Circuit · 131 km · road course
- Silverstone Circuit · 155 km · road course
Facts checked against 5 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.