Oliver's Mount

Oliver's Mount

Oliver's Mount Track Layout
Location North Yorkshire, England
Coordinates 54°15′47″N 0°24′18″W / 54.263°N 0.405°W / 54.263; -0.405Coordinates: 54°15′47″N 0°24′18″W / 54.263°N 0.405°W / 54.263; -0.405
Opened 1946
Major events Formula III
Oliver's Mount
Length 2.41 mi (3.88 km)
Lap record 2:18.6 (United KingdomCliff Allison, Cooper-Norton, 1955, Formula III)
Startline scene in 1986

Oliver's Mount is an area of high ground overlooking Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It offers impressive views of the town, a tribute monument to the war dead, camping and caravanning at selected times of the year, 10 football pitches, 1 rugby league pitch, in the past a small school, and a cafe, but may be primarily known for its motorcycle races (however, cars have raced here twice, in 1955 and 1956). Oliver's Mount first held a motorcycle race in 1946, and continues to hold motorcycle circuit racing today, and also holds car rally and car hill-climb events.

The site also hosted a new family friendly music festival from summer 2012. Opening 'International Bike Week', the 'Future Of Music - Oliver's Mount Festival'[1] will celebrate local, new music and will be held at Mount Farm, Oliver's Mount. It is being organised by the resident racing club 'Auto 66' and local music management and Promotion company 'Red Cherry Music'. It was first held over the weekend of 16 and 17 June 2012.

In 2016 Oliver's Mount was the summit for the final classified climb on the third stage of the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race.[2]

The site also houses the broadcasting transmitter which provides TV and radio services to Scarborough and the surrounding areas.

Oliver's Mount is named after Oliver Cromwell, as it was thought that he had sited guns there, although there is no evidence that Cromwell visited Scarborough during the Civil War. This name was in use by 1804; previously the hill was known as Weaponness, which now refers to the area of the town around Oliver's Mount and Filey Road, and one of the wards of the borough.[3][4][5]

Races

The Oliver's Mount track is a street circuit composed of twisty public roads and has played host to domestic motorcycling and rallying events for many years. Noted motorcycle racers who have raced at Oliver's Mount include Barry Sheene. The crowds for race events are known to have reached 58,000. Oliver's Mount racing circuit is the only street circuit in England. Throughout the year it hosts four weekends of motorcycle road racing and numerous hill climb challenges. With the Ian Watson Spring Road Races, Barry Sheene Classic Road Races, Cock o' the North Road Races and The Gold Cup drawing Riders and spectators from all over the British Isles. The races are organised by the Auto 66 club who attract many big name riders from the current road racing scene including Ian Hutchinson, Guy Martin, Ryan Farquhar, Ian Lougher, John McGuinness, Chris Palmer, William Dunlop and sidecar ace Nick Crowe amongst many other lesser-known, but very skilled riders. The circuit itself is 2.43 miles (3.91 km) in length and is not much more than a service road around Oliver's Mount. It is known as a technical and twisty track that requires a great deal of skill and bravery to tackle.

Oliver's Mount continues to hold motorcycle, car rally and car-hill climb events. Two Formula III events were held in 1955 and 1956.

British Formula III

Year Date Event Winning driver Winning constructor Report
1955 July Formula III United Kingdom Cliff Allison Cooper-Norton Report
1956 July Formula III United Kingdom Tom Dickson Cooper-Norton Report

British Superbike Championship

Year Race Rider Manufacturer
1987 1987 ACU Shell Oils Superbike Championship Rd.7 England Roger Marshall 1100cc Suzuki
1988 1988 ACU Shell Oils TT F1 British Championship Rd.8 England Jamie Whitham 750cc Suzuki

[6]

Services from transmitter

Oliver's Mount
Mast height 41 metres (135 ft)
Coordinates 54°15′47″N 0°24′18″W / 54.263°N 0.405°W / 54.263; -0.405
BBC region BBC Yorkshire
ITV region ITV Yorkshire
Local TV service Estuary TV (Yorkshire Coast TV)

Analogue radio

Frequency kW Service
89.9 MHz 0.125 BBC Radio 2
92.1 MHz 0.125 BBC Radio 3
94.3 MHz 0.125 BBC Radio 4
95.5 MHz 0.125 BBC Radio York
96.2 MHz 0.5 Yorkshire Coast Radio
99.5 MHz 0.125 BBC Radio 1

Digital radio

Frequency Block kW Operator
213.360 MHz 10C 2 MuxCo North Yorkshire
222.064 MHz 11D 2 Digital One
225.648 MHz 12B 2 BBC National DAB

Digital television

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
730.000 MHz 53 2 BBC B DVB-T2
738.000 MHz 54 1 SDN DVB-T
762.000 MHz 57 2 BBC A DVB-T
770.000 MHz 58 1 Arqiva A DVB-T
786.000 MHz 60 2 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
698.000 MHz 49 1 Arqiva B DVB-T

Before switchover

Frequency UHF kW Operator
698.000 MHz 49 0.1 BBC (Mux 1)
738.166 MHz 54+ 0.1 SDN (Mux A)
770.166 MHz 58+ 0.1 BBC (Mux B)
794.166 MHz 61+ 0.1 Arqiva (Mux C)
818.166 MHz 64+ 0.1 Arqiva (Mux D)
842.166 MHz 67+ 0.1 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)

Analogue television

Analogue television ceased from Oliver's Mount during August 2011. BBC Two was closed on 3 August and BBC One was temporarily moved into its frequency at the time to allow BBC A to launch in BBC One's old frequency. The remaining analogue services ceased on 17 August 2011.

Frequency UHF kW Service
727.25 MHz 53 1 Channel 4
759.25 MHz 57 1 BBC One
783.25 MHz 60 1 ITV1
807.25 MHz 63 1 BBC Two
831.25 MHz 66 1 Channel 5

References

  1. "The Future of Music Festival".
  2. "Tour de Yorkshire Stage 3: When and where you need to be". itv.com. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  3. "The Weaponness Area Scarborough" (PDF). Scarborough Borough Council. 4 September 2007. p. 6. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  4. Smollett, Tobias George (1804). The Critical review, or, Annals of literature. Series The Third. Volume III No. 1. W. Simpkin and R. Marshall. p. 319.
  5. Theakston's guide to Scarborough: comprising a brief sketch of the antiquities, natural productions, and romantic scenery, of the town and neighborhood. S.W. Theakston. 1854. p. 153.
  6. http://www.f1network.net/main/s180/st68599.htm

Bibliography

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