Bishopscourt

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

Bishopscourt was built as an RAF airfield during the Second World War, on the County Down coast just outside Downpatrick. Racing started there in 1962 on a three-mile lap of runway and perimeter road, and Barry Sheene won a 200cc race there in 1971. Racing stopped after 1973 when the base became a radar station. It came back as a privately owned track in 1992, run by motorcycle racers, and the whole place was resurfaced in 2011 when the International extension was added.

Today it's first and foremost a bike circuit. The Sunflower Trophy at the end of the season regularly pulls in British Superbike riders, and cars only get a short annual meeting. The normal National lap is about 1.83 miles, fast and wide, and people compare it to Thruxton. Regular open track days are thin on the ground, and the owners put the site up for sale in 2024 at over £2 million, so check before you plan a trip around it.

A lap of Bishopscourt

Layout: National, 2.945 km (1.83 miles)

Bishopscourt's corners aren't widely known by name outside the local paddock, so it's better to think of the National lap in terms of what it asks of you. It runs clockwise over old runways and perimeter roads, and like most airfield tracks it's mostly flat. The big exception is the start of the lap. Turns 1 and 2 are the originals from the 1960s layout, fast and downhill, and the racers who've ridden them describe them as properly quick. On a bike that means a lot of commitment while the track drops away underneath you, so build your speed up over several laps.

The rest of the lap is a mix of long runway straights and corners where the track is wide enough to take a few different lines. That's useful for passing, but it also makes it easy to lose your reference points. Pick braking markers you can actually see and stick with them, because a wide airfield looks very similar from one corner to the next when you're tired.

The surface is bumpy in places, which is common on old RAF concrete and tarmac. Expect the bike to shake its head on the brakes, and keep your body relaxed so the bars can move. On a car, softer settings will help.

If your day uses the International layout, remember the riders who race here say it's harder work than the normal track. The extra section adds length and more technical stuff, so treat it as a new circuit rather than an add-on. Sighting laps or a slow first session are well worth it.

Track day tips

• Regular open track days aren't a given here, and the circuit was put up for sale in 2024. Check with the circuit and local organisers before booking travel.
• Turns 1 and 2 are very fast and downhill. Don't go in at full commitment on your first lap.
• It's on the coast and very exposed, so the wind can be a big factor on the straights and on a bike.
• The surface is bumpy in places. A steering damper or softer suspension settings make life easier.
• If you're keen to see it at its best, the Sunflower Trophy bike races late in the season are the meeting to watch.
• Kirkistown is less than an hour north, so it's easy to combine the two on a trip to Northern Ireland.

Getting there

The circuit is on Lismore Road near Ardglass and Downpatrick, at BT30 7EY. From Belfast, head south on the A24 and A7 to Downpatrick, then follow the signs towards the coast. It takes around an hour from the city. From Great Britain, the ferries from Cairnryan or Liverpool to Belfast suit anyone bringing their own bike or car. George Best Belfast City Airport and Belfast International are the nearest airports. Downpatrick and Newcastle have the closest hotels and B&Bs.