List of British racecourses explained

This List of British racecourses gives details of both current and former horse racing venues in Great Britain. As of, there are 59 racecourses operating in Great Britain (excluding Point-to-Point courses). Hereford racecourse reopened in October 2016 having been closed since 2012. Towcester racecourse is not operating as a horse racing venue as of 2024 and the future of racing there is uncertain.

Current

The following British horse racing courses are in operation as of :^[1]

Code	Opened	Surface	Owner
National Hunt	1829	Turf	Jockey Club
Mixed	1711	Turf	Independent
Mixed	1907	Turf	Independent
	1859	Turf	Chester Race Company
	data-sort-value="1728"	by 1728	Turf	Arena Racing
	data-sort-value="1767"	by 1767	Turf	Independent
	1783	Turf	Arena Racing
Mixed	1904	Turf	Jockey Club
	data-sort-value="1856"	by 1856	Turf	Independent
Mixed	1783	Turf	Independent
	2008		Independent
	1831	Turf	Jockey Club
Mixed	1926	Turf	Arena Racing
	1539	Turf	Chester Race Company
Mixed	data-sort-value="1595"	by 1595	Turf	Arena Racing
	data-sort-value="1661"	by 1661	Turf	Jockey Club
	data-sort-value="1804"	by 1804	Turf	Jockey Club
	1905	Turf	Independent
Mixed	2009	Turf	Arena Racing
	1924	Turf	Arena Racing
	1802	Turf	Independent
	1810	Turf	Arena Racing
	1782	Turf	Independent
Mixed	1899	Turf	Jockey Club
	1771	Turf	Herefordshire Council
	data-sort-value="1740"	c.1740	Turf	Independent
	1886	Turf	Jockey Club
	1822	Turf	Independent
Mixed	1878		Jockey Club
Mixed	1883	Turf	Independent
Mixed	1890	Turf & Polytrack	Arena Racing
	data-sort-value="1725"	by 1725	Turf	Independent
	1924	Turf	Jockey Club
Mixed	1816	Turf	Musselburgh Joint Racing Committee
Mixed	1905	Turf	Independent
Mixed	1882		Arena Racing
	1667	Turf	Jockey Club
	1866	Turf	Independent
	1892	Turf	Jockey Club
	1908	Turf	Independent
	1884	Turf	Independent
	1801	Turf	Independent
	1870	Turf	Independent
	1900	Turf	Independent
	1584^[2]	Turf	Independent
Mixed	1875	Turf	Jockey Club
	data-sort-value="1732"	by 1732	Turf	Arena Racing
Mixed	1850	Turf & Tapeta	Arena Racing
	1755	Turf	Independent
	1927	Turf	Independent
	1923	Turf	Independent
	1907	Turf	Arena Racing
	1707	Turf	Jockey Club
Mixed	1891	Turf	Independent
	1867	Turf	Jockey Club
	1866	Turf	Arena Racing
	1887	Tapeta	Arena Racing
	data-sort-value="1718"	by 1718	Turf	Arena Racing
	1709	Turf	Independent

Former

Through the centuries, racing has taken place at various courses throughout Britain which have since closed down. Some were very significant in their day and held major races which persist to this day. For example, the flat season's traditional curtain raiser, the Lincolnshire Handicap was once held at the racecourse that gave it its name in Lincoln but is now held at Doncaster.

21st century

Two racecourses have closed in the 21st century. Closed date refers to the last date on which racing took place at the venue.

width=160	Racecourse !	width=125	Location !	width=100	Country !	width=50	Code !	width=75	Opened !	width=95	Closed !	Notes
			Mixed	1898
			National Hunt	1928		Greyhound racing still takes place at the course

20th century

Between 1900 and 1981, 98 racecourses closed their doors.^[3] Opened and closed dates refer to the first and last dates on which racing took place at the venue.

width=160	Racecourse !	width=125	Location !	width=100	Country !	width=50	Code !	width=75	Opened !	width=95	Closed !	Notes
						Staged military racing from 1928 to 1939 and point-to-point racing from 1948 to 2012. Also known as Tweseldown Racecourse.

Anglesey Racecourse			National Hunt	1757		Located first in Llangefni, then moved to Beaumaris
			National Hunt	1905
			National Hunt
			National Hunt			Also known as Clifton Park Racecourse, now the site of Blackpool Airport
			Mixed			Staged point-to-point racing until March 1994
			National Hunt			Also known as Ensbury Park Racecourse
			National Hunt		^[4]	Bona fide Hunt meetings were staged from 1937 to 1939
			Mixed
						The dilapidated main grandstand survives, and is a well known local landmark, and the fields around it are still in use for point-to-point races.^[5]
			National Hunt			Also known as Ely Racecourse. Staged Flat racing in the 19th century
			National Hunt		Bef. 1840		An oval course, just under 2 miles in circumference
Chesterfield Racecourse
			National Hunt			Pony racing took place in 1949 and point-to-point racing was staged between 1960 and 1963
			Mixed		Bef. 1821		Only Flat and hurdle races were run
					by 1707		Three different venues, the last of which opened in 1848. Still open parkland known as the Racecourse Playing Fields. The County Cricket Ground, located within the track, is still in use.
					Bef. 1840		Held three day meeting at beginning of May

Eridge Racecourse
			Mixed			The land is now part of Gatwick Airport.
Grafton Hunt Racecourse					1928
Hambleton Racecourse					1911
			Flat			The land is now the site of Bamville Cricket Club.
			National Hunt			Used for Household Brigade racing. The course staged pony racing from 1947 to 1951 and in 1961, and Arab racing in 1979
			National Hunt		c1888		The course staged point-to-racing from 1953 to 1970
			National Hunt			Subsequently the site of RAF Hooton Park and Vauxhall Ellesmere Port
				1883		Also known as Hedon Racecourse
			Mixed
			Mixed	1710		In 1840 it was holding a two-day meeting in early July, highlights of which were a 100 guineas Queen's Plate (dating from at least 1727) and a Town Members' Plate for 50 sovereigns
Keele Park Racecourse			National Hunt			Now the site of Keele services
			Flat		c. 1100s
Lewes Racecourse			Flat		Bef. 1727		Situated on the chalk downs near the town, it was also home to the East Sussex Hunt. Held a Royal Plate Race for 6 year olds from 1727 at the latest. A stand was erected in 1772. In 1840, the course was "one of the finest four mile courses in the kingdom". Races took place in mid-August.
Lichfield Racecourse
				1773		Used for point-to-point races from 1967 to 1991
Maghull Racecourse
			Mixed	1681		There was racing at three successive sites in Manchester, the last being at Castle Irwell. Various plans to create a new racecourse on rural land such as Kersal Moor have been put forward in recent years.^[6] ^[7]
Melton Racecourse			National Hunt			Located at Burton Lazars
		(Wales)	National Hunt		Bef. 1845		Also known as Caerleon Racecourse
					Bef. 1840		A one and a half mile oval, with a straight half mile run in. In 1840 was holding a two-day meeting at the end of August.
Northolt Park Racecourse			Pony racing
Pershore Racecourse			National Hunt			Staged one Flat meeting in 1847 and National Hunt racing from 1899 to 1939
Plymouth Racecourse					c. 1827		A spring meeting was held in May, and a grand two-day meeting in August
			Mixed			Closed during World War I and turned into an ammunition dump for the War Office.Also known as Portsmouth Park Racecourse.
					1920s		c. 1946	The land was redeveloped as a housing estate.
					Bef. 1759		Held one meeting a year.
						Still used annually for point-to-point races
Seamer Moor						Used for point-to-point races until 1935
Shincliffe Racecourse			National Hunt
Shirley Racecourse			National Hunt			Staged pony racing from 1947 to 1953. The land is now the home of Shirley Golf Club
South Brent Racecourse
Southend Racecourse					1931
Southwold Racecourse					1909
						This was the third course in Stockton. The first dated from 1724. Known as Teesside Park from 1967 to 1979^[8]
Tenby Racecourse					1936
Torquay Racecourse
Totnes Racecourse					1939	Requisitioned by the Admiralty, it was sold in the early 1950s. At this course long distance steeplechases involved crossing the River Dart and the Totnes-Newton Abbot road. Sometimes called the Totnes and Bridgetown races
Whitehaven Racecourse				1852
						In 1840, it was holding a two-day October meeting which included a 100 sovereign Gold Cup

19th century

Many courses that were prominent in earlier times did not survive into the modern era. The list below is a selection of these, taken from Whyte's History of the British Turf. Where dates are not given for closure, it is possible they were still extant in the 20th century. No distinction has been made between enclosed courses of the type that are familiar now and those that were run over unenclosed courses, more akin to point-to-point racing. Indeed, some of these racecourses or parts of them are still used for that purpose.

width=300	Racecourse !	width=125	Location !	width=100	Country !	width=50	Code !	width=125	Opened !	width=125	Closed !	width=425	Notes
				not known	not known	A mid-August meeting was well and fashionably attended on a meadow near Gogerddan about three miles from the town.
				1767	1875	Early records show that racing took place at Abingdon as early as 1767.The flat, oval racecourse had a circumference of 10 furlongs and a separate 6 furlong section for sprint races.
				not known	not known	Held a one-day meeting in September, with a £50 town plate being the principal race
				not known	not known	Two annual meetings recorded in 1840
				not known	not known	Run at a course one mile south-west of the town, on the site of what is supposed to have been a Danish camp. Formerly at Beadnell.
				not known	not known
				not known	not known	Held a day-long meeting at the end of September, including a Town Plate of £50
				not known	not known	Held a 'poorly-attended' two-day meeting in early October
				not known	not known	Near Ludlow, it held a day's 'inferior' racing in mid-July
				not known	not known	Held a meeting towards the end of August which included the 100 sovereign Dorsetshire Gold Cup
				not known	not known	Held one day's racing in September
				not known	not known	A course near the town, with a 'commodious' stand held races for two days in late September
				not known	not known	Held two days' racing at the end of September
				not known	not known	Held a two-day meeting at the start of August; the course was in bad repair in 1840
				not known	not known	Held a day long race meeting in mid-August
				not known	not known	Held two days' racing in the middle of August, including a Gold Cup of 100 sovs
				1838	16 October 1839	Held one day's racing in mid-October. Held the 'Ordinaries' at The Star Inn, Burntwood.
				From 'a very early period'	not known	Held a two-day meeting at the end of August which included the Bretby Cup, given by the Earl of Chesterfield
				not known	not known	A small hunter racecourse
				not known	not known	Held two days' racing in June
				not known	not known	Held on Barham Downs, within 3 miles of the city. Had a 'commodious stand'. Was awarded a King's Plate by George II in 1729.
				not known	not known	Held mid-July meetings for two days.
				not known	not known	Held one day's 'inferior racing' at the beginning of September
				not known	not known	Held two days' racing at the start of October
				not known	not known	Held two days' racing at the beginning of May
				1821	not known	The first record of racing was 1617 http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Clitheroe%20Racecourse.html the link has a map too.
				not known	not known	Two-day race meetings were held in March with a Silver Cup and £100 in prize money
				not known	not known	Held amateur races at the beginning of April
Croydon Racecourse		England			1871	not known	Site now occupied by Long Lane Estate and Ashburton Playing Fields.
				not known	not known	Held two days' racing in the middle of September
				1836	not known	Held in mid-August
				not known	not known	Held two days racing at the end of June
				not known	not known	Alternately held the Caledonian Hunt meeting, along with Ayr, Edinburgh and Musselburgh
				not known	not known	Situated on the plain of Runnymede where King John signed Magna Carta, Egham races were often attended by royalty. The course was a two mile flat oval.
				not known	not known
				not known	By 1836	Replaced by Dove House meeting
				not known	not known	A mile and a half oblong course in a meadow on the banks of the River Severn, with a straight, 400 yard run-in
				1838	not known	Had four courses ranging in length from 5 furlongs 136 yards to two miles
				not known	not known
				not known	not known	Three-day meetings held in the middle of June on Moulsey Hurst next to the river
				1827	not known	Held a two-day meeting at the end of September which included the Town Plate and St. Leonard's Plate, both of 50 sovereigns
				not known	not known	Situated on a common near the town called Portfield or Poorfield. Two-day meetings were held at the beginning of August.
				not known	not known	Held three days 'excellent' racing in late September
				1835	Monday 30 October 1871	Races were held on the 'heathy downs' at Cannock Chase which had long been famed for racehorses. A day long meeting was held in early July and again in October and November. These races did not run from 1835 to 1871 consecutively. The first meeting was on Tuesday 27 October 1835 and ran for seven years until Tuesday 8 November 1842. Another meeting was held on Tuesday 26 November 1850 with the final meeting being on Monday 30 October 1871.
				not known	not known	Races took place at the beginning of August for two days
				3 June 1837	not known	A 'vast establishment' also called the Metropolitan Racecourse
				9 November 1769	20 October 1852	Hunt races took place in the middle of October for two days.
				1821	not known	Racing, mainly hunter chases, took place at the end of April and for a short time in the 1820s and 1830s the course was very fashionable
Kingston Racecourse (Kington)				not known	not known	An 'inferior' racecourse, with meetings at the end of July
				not known	not known	Held two-day race meetings in mid-June.
				not known	not known	Held a two-day meeting in late July
				not known	not known	Held races that were only 'of local interest' in 1840
				1504 (or earlier)	1816	Races were held on the sands at low tide in late July or early August for four or five days, until the events were moved to Musselburgh. A 4 mile King's Plate was run at Leith from at least 1728
				13 September 1848	Friday 29 June 1860	First held a one day race meeting: The Lenham and Mid Kent meeting, in 1848 on a course of barely 6 furlongs circumference. The final meeting took place on Friday 29 June 1860.
				not known	not known	Held meetings at the end of August
				not known	not known	The course was on the Tamworth road, about two miles from the city and raced at the end of March and in mid-September. Was awarded a King's Plate for 5 year olds by George II in 1748.
Mansfield Racecourse				21 August 1734	13 July 1874	The course was situated just over a mile east of the town, the area between the straights (which crossed both Eakring Road and Southwell Road) is still used for recreational purposes.^[9]
				6 March 1857	14 March 1859	A four mile course on Selby High Road.
				not known	not known	Races were held annually in November on Middleham Moor, but in 1840 they were deemed 'of little interest'. Middleham is still home to many racing stables.
				not known	not known	Situated on the banks of the River Wye near the junction with the River Monnow on Chippenham meadow. A two-day meeting was held in mid-October.
				not known	not known	Races took place over two days at the beginning of September at Cottingwood to the north of the town.
			Mixed	not known	not known	Held a two-day meeting in early August
			Mixed	not known	not known	Held a two-day meeting at the end of July
				not known	By 1840
			Mixed	not known	not known	Racing took place in mid-October for two days, and included a £100 Gold Cup and £50 Silver Cup.
				early 1700s or 1804	1848	Racing started on the common west of the town over a unique figure-of-eight course. A grandstand was built at the start of the 19th century. but the last meeting was held in 1848. Its regular meeting was two days in September and included the Shropshire Stakes and a Gold Cup.
Oxford Racecourse				not known	not known	An oval of two miles, quite flat
				not known	not known	Situated between the River Avon and the canal to Newport, Wales. A two-day meeting was held at the start of August.
				not known	not known	Held a two-day meeting at the start of August including a Stewards' Plate of 100 sovs.
			Mixed	not known	not known
				not known	not known	Held a two-day meeting at the beginning of September
				not known	not known	Held a one day meeting in the middle of May, for 'half-bred horses' of local interest only
				not known	not known	Held two days of 'inferior racing' at the end of May
				1730	5 November 1886	Situated on Bicton Heath, 2 miles west of Shrewsbury. It was 1 mile 185 yards round. Races took place in mid-September for 3 or 4 days and included a Queen's Plate of 100gs. In Chris Pitt's book, A Long Time Gone, he states the meetings began in 1774 but there is evidence on John Slusar's website, The Greyhound Derby, that shows it was 1730.
				31 July 1804^[10]	28 June 1881	Situated on Southampton common on land given by the corporation. Held a two-day meeting at the beginning of August.
				not known	not known	A one mile course, almost completely oval except for a quarter mile straight run-in. Held 'very inferior' races at the start of October.
				not known	not known	A mile in circumference on Wittering Heath near the town, held a three day mid-June meeting. The grandstand of 1766 survives
				not known	not known	A meeting of merely local interest was held at the end of April
				1839	1898	Dates given are for most significant incarnation of the course. There had been racing at another site in Stockbridge from 1775 or earlier^[11]
				not known	not known	Held a two-day meeting in early October.
				not known	not known	Held two days of racing at the end of August. Had a Cup Stakes of £100 in value.
				not known	c. 1838	Held at a place called Noman's Land. Home to the St. Albans' Steeple Chase. Racing ceased on the establishment of Gorhambury Park.
				not known	not known	Commonly called 'Swansea and Neath races', the course was on Cremlyn Burrows on the Neath Road. Meetings were held at the end of August.
				not known	not known	An oval, hilly, two mile course with a one day meeting at the beginning of May
				not known	not known	Racing of a 'very inferior' nature, with the principal race being a £50 plate.
				not known	not known	Held a two-day meeting at the end of August
				not known	not known	Held a well attended two-day meeting at the end of August on the common
				not known	not known	Races took place at the end of August
				1755	13 August 1876	The majority of race meetings were held over two days at the end of September although some years the meeting was held in October and towards the end, in August.
				not known	not known	Held a 'very inferior' race meeting at the beginning of October
				not known	not known	Held one day's racing at the end of July
				1821	not known	Well attended meeting held at the end of August. The course was considered 'very good'
				Bef. 1727	Circa 1914 requisitioned during WW I and remains in military ownership	Races were held on Worthy Down, 4 miles from Winchester for two days in the middle of July. Held a Royal Plate race for 6 year olds from at least 1727.

Numbers in the 18th-19th centuries

Year	England	Wales	Scotland	Ireland	Total
1727	112	5	unknown	unknown	117
1800	66		5	4	75
1816	84		9	8	101
1839	132	9	9	3	153

18th century

Whyte's History of the British Turf (1840) lists 48 places where racing was discontinued in the latter half of the 18th century:NB Racing is recorded at various of these places after 1840.There is also reference to a Royal Plate race being held at Guilford from 1727 at the latest and Burford from 1755.

Other sites

Race results from places not listed by Whyte can also be found in the historical record. These include:

Blankney Races
New Malton
Radcliffe Bridge
Tarporley Hunt
Tewkesbury

Bibliography

Book: Mortimer. Roger . Onslow. Richard. Willett. Peter. Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane's. 1978. 0-354-08536-0.
Book: Pitt . Chris . A Long Time Gone . 2006 . Portway . Halifax . 1901570622 . Rev. and updated.
Web site: Slusar . John . Lenham Racecourse . Greyhound Derby . 18 November 2016 . 4 April 2022 .
Book: Whyte, James Christie . History of the British turf, from the earliest period to the present day, Volume I . 1840 . H. Colburn . . 6544990M .

Notes and References

Web site: UK Racecourses Map – Flat and National Hunt . Eventing Guide . Eventing Guide . 17 October 2022.
Web site: Salisbury Racecourse Racing, Events and more . 2022-09-07 . Salisbury Racecourse . en.
News: Courses for horses . BBC News . 21 July 2008.
[BBC News]
https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/image_galleries/buckfastleigh_racecourse_gallery.shtml BBC Devon gallery
News: Racing: Manchester aims to revive glorious racing history . Herbery . Ian . The Independent . 14 April 2004 . 2011-12-27.
News: Salford racecourse on track . Manchester Evening News . 6 June 2007 . 2011-12-27.
Web site: Stockton Racecourse . greyhoundderby.com . 2 May 2013.
Web site: Nottinghamshire history > The History of Mansfield (1894). www.nottshistory.org.uk. 2014-12-30.
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/20859656.enjoyed-horse-racing-southampton/
Web site: Stockbridge Racecourse . greyhoundderby.com . 17 April 2013.