Clay Pigeon Raceway

About Clay Pigeon Raceway

Clay Pigeon Raceway sits out on Wardon Hill, on the A37 roughly halfway between Dorchester and Yeovil, and it is one of the most storied kart tracks in the country. The site began life as a Second World War military hospital; club racing started here in 1963, when the first hut foundations were linked with tarmac into an early circuit. It has grown into an 815-metre Motorsport UK licensed outdoor track that hosts everything from arrive-and-drive hire sessions to serious club and endurance racing. A 4.8 Google rating puts it among the best-regarded venues in the South West — and for many visitors the draw is standing on the same tarmac where two British Formula 1 drivers learned their craft.

The Circuit

The 815m layout has six turns and a real mix of character — flowing right and left-handers, an S-section, hairpins and a kinked pit straight. Local names tell you which corners matter: a fast double right-hander known as Billy's Blind, and a double-apex left-hander called the horseshoe that rewards patience on the way in. It is a track with enough length and variety to run genuine race distances rather than short bursts, so consistency and clean lines count for more than a single quick lap. Being fully outdoor and exposed on the hill, grip and conditions shift with the weather, which is part of what makes it a good place to actually learn to drive.

Racing Heritage

Clay Pigeon has a claim few tracks can match: it is where Jenson Button started karting, beginning here in May 1988 aged eight and taking the club's cadet title that same year, and it is also where Lando Norris first found his feet in a kart before going on to Formula 1. That pedigree is genuine local history rather than marketing — the venue has been developing young racers for decades, and it still runs the cadet and junior classes that feed the sport. For F1 fans, a lap here is as close as it gets to karting in the drivers' own footsteps.

Who Should Visit

This suits drivers who want an authentic outdoor circuit with real heritage rather than a polished indoor leisure loop — keen amateurs, F1 fans, and groups happy to make the trip into rural Dorset. Hire karts (arrive-and-drive) are available to book, typically midweek, with a minimum age of 14 for the hire fleet; younger cadets race through the club with their own equipment. Practice days, corporate bookings and endurance formats such as the venue's IRONMAN-style races round out the calendar, and it is also a recognised site for taking the ARKS test towards a national racing licence.

Because hire sessions run on set days and must be pre-booked, this is not a walk-in-any-evening venue — check availability before making the journey, particularly if you are travelling any distance.

Planning Your Visit

Clay Pigeon Raceway is at Wardon Hill, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9PW, directly on the A37 between Dorchester and Yeovil with parking on site. There is a café on the premises, plus the on-site Kart Shack shop for spares and kart storage, so you can make a proper morning or afternoon of a visit.

As an exposed outdoor circuit, sessions run in most weather and wet running is part of the experience, though it is worth calling ahead if conditions look severe. Booking is required for hire sessions — contact the venue directly to confirm days, availability and current prices before travelling, as these vary through the year and across the summer and winter timetables.

Frequently Asked Questions