5 circuits in East of England, compared on the things that actually differ: what a session costs per minute, how long the track is, and how young drivers can be.
Brentwood, Essex
Brentwood Karting runs an 825-metre floodlit outdoor circuit at Warley Gap, about fifteen minutes' walk from Brentwood station and half an hour from central London. It holds the International Rental Karting Award for Best Customer Experience.
Price not published
Ellough, near Beccles, Suffolk
Ellough Park near Beccles bills itself as East Anglia's premier outdoor kart circuit and has been running for over twenty years. It uses 390cc Sodi SR5 karts, the same machinery raced in the Sodi World Series, with an adjustable pedal system that alters both distance and height.
Purfleet, Thurrock
Lakeside Karting sits on the A1306 Arterial Road at Purfleet, about half an hour from central London and a few minutes from Lakeside Shopping Centre. It holds the International Rental Karting Award for Best Customer Experience, and is run by Lets Go Active, who also operate Brentwood Karting.
Price not published
Red Lodge, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Red Lodge Karting is a floodlit outdoor circuit in Suffolk with short and long layouts, running up to 24 karts at once. The operator describes it as flowing and technical, and it is unusually well equipped for a hire venue: solar-powered digital flags on every marshal post, a large LED message board past the tower, and live timing shown in the viewing area.
Price not published
Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
Rye House at Hoddesdon is one of the best known circuits in British karting, and the operator leans on that history, describing it as the track where champions began their careers. It runs a main GP circuit and a separate bespoke junior circuit.
Cost per minute is calculated the same way everywhere: session price divided by minutes on track. Where a track sells sessions in bundles we show its best rate, since booking more up front is usually cheaper. Compulsory extras are listed on each track's own page.
The youngest age accepted anywhere in East of England is 3 , at 3 of the 5 tracks. Height matters as much as age — most circuits also set a minimum of 130cm or 140cm, and a child who meets the age but not the height will be turned away at the gate. Each listing shows both.