Best soil for carrots

I have clay soil and have no problem with carrots or parsnips, I dib the soil with what ever depth and thickness I fancy fill with peaty compost and the usual 3 seeds, the clay is so hard that they do not deform and I get lovely strait plants almost every time,

 

Years ago we used to grow carrots and parsnips for show in 45 gallon drums filled with compost, then with an steel bar 4 foot long we would make cone shaped holes in the compost, fill the holes with silver sand, sow three seeds in each thinning to the strongest seedling. the carrot/parsnip would then follow the silver sand giving a perfect shaped carrot/parsnip, gave up when it got too competitive using 10 feet long split pipes etc.
Regards Sandy

 

Are we talking about carrots to eat or carrots for the "cat walk"? A fine well draining soil will suffice for the former, sod the latter!!!!

 

Agree @Vince. I spent a considerable amount of my life being competitive on the sports field and now find it completely non stressful and fun to grow my own veg non competitively. If they look good well that's a bonus, but there is absolutely no disputing that my veg tastes vastly better than shop bought and as it is for home and friends consumption nobody cares if they are misshapen/have the odd hole due to some wretched burrowing bast..d