Newmarket Racecourses, the home of flat racing, is one of the most famous racecourses in the world. It holds many Group One races, the most prestigious races in the sport. The course itself actually consists of two different tracks, the Rowley Mile, used in spring and autumn, and the July Course, used, as the name suggests, in summer. Newmarket is a special place to visit for any race, let alone the Champion Stakes, one of the leading autumn races in the UK. First run in 1877 at the Rowley Mile over 1 mile and 2 furlongs, it is open to fillies and mares over three years old. This year’s race, on October 16, is particularly worth seeing, as it is your last chance to see the race at its spiritual home: it is due to switch to Ascot from next year.
Where to stay
Originally a Georgian hunting lodge built for the Duke of Bedford in the 18th Century, Bedford Lodge Hotel was converted into a luxury hotel in the 1940s. It was named Suffolk Hotel of the Year 2006-07, and it is easy to see why. Set in three acres of beautiful rose gardens but just a 10-minute walk from Newmarket, it marries contemporary luxury with traditional charm. There is a gym and pool, an excellent restaurant and free wi-fi.
Just outside Newmarket, in the hamlet of Saxon Street, is The Reindeer, Cheveley, a stylishly finished, surprisingly modern hotel. The quality of its food is excellent.
Newmarket is quite an expensive place to stay, but there are a few more affordable options around. The Black Horse Motel, in the village of Swaffham four miles outside Newmarket, offers rooms in a converted stable block. They are fairly basic, but include a colour TV, central heating and tea and coffee facilities, as well as a full English breakfast. The historic university town of Cambridge, well worth visiting, is just a 10-minute drive away.
The Cadogan Hotel Newmarket is a cosy family-run hotel which was recently upgraded from 2 star to 3 star by the AA. All 12 en-suite rooms come with a TV, hospitality tray, hairdryer and ironing facilities. Free wireless internet is available throughout the hotel. There are no leisure facilities on site, but guests can use the facilities of a local hotel for an additional charge.
How to get there
The majority of racegoers travel to Newmarket by road. As such, the immediate environs of the town itself become rammed with cars in the hours before the first race. Road diversions will be in place, attempting to take you around the town, but you are best advised to ignore them and continue through the centre – it is far quicker. The Rowley mile is clearly signposted.
It is also possible to reach Newmarket by public transport. Regular rail services run from London Kings Cross and Liverpool Street to Cambridge, Stansted Airport and Ipswich, where onward connections by rail, bus or road can be made, for example by picking up a taxi or hopping on one of the Newmarket-operated return coach services from Cambridge train station (which also operate from the Robin Hood pub at Cherry Hinton).
There are, of course, a large number of taxi firms operating in Cambridge and Newmarket.
