The site was established as RAF Llandow on 1 April 1940. It served as a base for No. 53 Operational Training Unit, which flew Supermarine Spitfires from 1941 to 1943, and housed elements of the Royal Canadian Air Force. On 12 March 1950, an Avro Tudor V operated by Llandow-connected services crashed while approaching the airfield, killing 80 of the 83 people aboard — at the time the world's worst civil aviation disaster. The Royal Air Force decommissioned the airfield in 1957.
In 1961 Jack Evans, a local farmer, purchased an 80-acre parcel of the former airfield that included remnants of air-raid shelters, gun turrets, and stretches of runway. Working with the South Wales Automobile Club, Evans linked sections of runway into a 1-mile oval circuit. Graham Hill formally opened the venue in 1963. The first competitive race meeting took place on Easter Monday, 30 March 1964, organized jointly by the Hagley and District Light Car Club and the South Wales Automobile Club.
Through the 1960s and into the 1970s the circuit drew regular crowds of 3,000 to 4,000 spectators for both car and motorcycle events. Car competitors during this period included Roger Clark, Andy Rouse, and Jody Scheckter — the latter going on to win the 1979 Formula One World Championship. Motorcycle racing began at Llandow in 1965, with early competitors including Rod Gould, Mick Grant, and Ray Pickrell.
The Monoposto Racing Club lap record of 36.0 seconds was set by Alan Baillie in a Viking Mk1A in 1974, a benchmark that reflects the demanding pace achievable on the flat airfield circuit.
The circuit lost its racing licence in 1977 due to poor track surface and facilities standards. Through the 1980s the site was used for stock car racing, grass tracking, and agricultural purposes. A race and rally school, go-karting, and general testing continued in diminished form.
The circuit was resurfaced and reshaped between 2000 and 2001, with a 9-metre strip of tarmac laid to the current standard. The Motor Sports Association Sprint licence was regained in March 2001, allowing competitive events to resume. The current layout measures 0.9 miles (1.45 km) in length, follows a clockwise direction, and incorporates eight turns.
The outright lap record is held by Martin Jessopp, who set a time of 41.4 seconds on 16 September 2009 riding a Ducati 1198RS in British Superbike specification. According to the circuit, Jessopp was unaware a record was being timed; his motorcycle was still geared for high-speed circuits following the North West 200 the previous week, where he had reached 208 mph.
The circuit operates under the ownership of Evans family descendants and hosts track days, supercar experience days, MSUK testing, filming, and photoshoots. An adjacent karting facility is managed by the same family. In July 2007, housing developers Persimmon and Barratt unveiled plans to replace the circuit with an estate of 2,700 homes incorporating schools and a community centre; as of 2022 no such development had proceeded.
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