Earliest meeting: Thursday 24th April 1862
Final meeting: Thursday 29th April 1875
The Essex settlement of Childerditch, in the borough of Brentwood, was the host area for race meetings under the direction of the South Essex Hunt. The Hunt dates back to at least 1820 and the first Master was Charles Newman. The meetings were held in the mid to late 1800s, with an inaugural meeting held on Thursday 24th April 1862. That meeting took place on ground owned by the Honourable Lord F Petre, first-rate hunting ground comprised of 30 fences, including a road which had to be crossed four times. Details of that early meeting are shown below. Two years later the course at Childerditch had a grandstand covered by an awning and very severe fences, including an 8 foot wide 'ugly' brook and several stiff fences. The principal race in 1874, the Essex Hunters' Steeplechase over 3 miles, was claimed by Mr Dawson's Croydon at the expense of The Vicar. The next year, on Thursday 20th April 1865 the 3rd Essex Rifle Volunteers Band entertained the crowd between races, when the opening Farmers' Stakes was won by Mr G Gosling's Sailor, beating Fairlop and Ploughboy. The Hunters' Stakes, over 3 miles, which followed went to Mr J S Gale's Confidence, while the feature race, the Essex Stakes, was won by Mr Cassidy's Harkaway. Meetings were well received and continued for the next 11 years until the final card was staged on Thursday 29th April 1875.

Lord Petre, Sir Sir Claude Champion de Crispigny, T B Lennard, Sir C C Smith, Mr H Lawrence (Clerk)

Thursday 24th April 1862
Farmers Silver Cup Stakes over 3 miles (Cup valued at 20 guineas)

1. Bracknell owned by Mr E Hoof
2. Forester owned by Mr A Hockley
3. Lord Chancellor owned by Mr E Banter

Essex Stakes over 3 miles

1. The Don owned by Mr F Barker
2. Sailor owned by Mr Shave

Thursday 14th April 1864
Essex Hunters’ Steeplechase over 3 miles
1. Croydon, aged horse owned by Mr Dawson
2. The Vicar, bay gelding owned by Mr Vickerman
3. Kate, brown mare owned by Sir W O’Malley
Betting: 2/1 The Vicar, 3/1 All Fours, 4/1 Croydon, 4/1 Kate

I am grateful to Ordnance Survey (© Crown Copyright) for permission to use the map shown below.

On Thursday 21st April 1870 the South Essex Steeplechase Committee organised a meeting at the Childerditch course, and seldom was a meeting held under more favourable auspices. The weather was brilliant, the crowd could have believed it was mid-July, while the company was very large and fashionable. Handsome carriages, breaks, phaetons and vehicles of every shape and form, colour and size lined the course which was in splendid condition. The Chief Steward was Sir Thomas Barrett Lennard, the judge Mr Pratt, and the Clerk of the Course Mr F Barker.
Farmers Plate over 3 miles

1. Dodman (evens fav) chestnut gelding owned by Mr A Poole and ridden by J Reynolds
2. Uncle Nat (5/1) bay gelding owned by Mr J Barnard and ridden by P Barker
3. Ruby (6/4) bay mare owned by Mr John Davis and ridden by A Briggs

Hunters Plate over 3 miles

1. Dean Swift (3/1) chestnut horse owned and ridden by Mr H P Seabrook
2. Westlander (7/4 fav) brown gelding owned by Mr F Barker and ridden by P Barker
3. Charlie (3/1) bay horse owned by Mr W C Marshall and ridden by H While
4. Baby Blake (5/1) bay gelding owned and ridden by Sir Claude Crespigny

Stewards Plate over 2 1/2 miles

1. King Tom (evens fav) bay gelding owned by Mr A Poole and ridden by J Reynolds
2. Dean Swift (4/1) chestnut horse owned and ridden by Mr H P Seabrook
3. Whalebone (3/1) chestnut gelding owned by Mr C Perry and ridden by W Bambridge

Open Hunters Stakes over 3 miles

1. Arlescott (3/1) owned by Mr Betts and ridden by Chaston
2. Balder (6/4 fav) owned and ridden by Mr W Bambridge
3. Trumpher (5/1) owned by Mr F G Hobson and ridden by Potter

Essex Plate over 3 miles

1. Westlander (4/7 fav) brown gelding owned by Mr F Barker and ridden by P Barker
2. King Tom (2/1) brown gelding owned by Mr A Poole and ridden by J Reynolds
3. Dean Swift (5/1) chestnut horse owned by Mr H P Seabrook and ridden by Cassidy

On Thursday 13th April 1871 the long-established meeting took place over the old Childerditch course, near Brentwood, when the weather was delightfully fine and the attendance large.
Hunters Plate over 2 1/2 miles

1. Villager (2/1) chestnut gelding owned by Mr Lewis and ridden by A Yates
2. Too Fast (4/1) bay gelding owned by Mr A Poole and ridden by F G Hobson
3. Blue Post (6/4 fav) bay gelding owned by Mr J Bambridge and ridden by W Bambridge

Open Hunters Stakes over 3 miles

1. Domino (2/1) owned and ridden by Mr Lambton
2. Golden Fleece (4/1) owned by Mr G A Pepper and ridden by Castle
3. King of the Roses (6/4 fav) owned by Mr O Perry and ridden by W Bambridge

Tillingham Hall Stakes over 2 1/2 miles

1. War Wueen (3/1) owned by Mr J Reynolds and ridden by A Yates
2. Too Fast (4/1) owned by Mr A Poole and ridden by W Bambridge
3. Lawrence (5/1) owned and ridden by Mr Yates

On Thursday 18th April 1872 the pleasant and popular country meeting came off at the old Childerditch course amid seasonable weather, with a driving shower of hail prior to the first race. The attendance was not unduly affected by the inclement weather, with the course lined by fashionable little companies in carriages.
Hunters Plate over 2 1/2 miles

1. Zilla (12/1) bay mare owned by Mr W Goodchild and ridden by Squire
2. The Maze (5/1) bay gelding owned and ridden by Mr L Ward
3. Harkaway (10/1) bay gelding owned by Captain Hazlerigg and ridden by Captain Williamson

Essex Plate over 3 miles

1. The Maze (3/1) bay gelding owned and ridden by Mr L Ward
2. Westlander (5/4 fav) brown gelding owned by Mr Collyn and ridden by J Reynolds
3. Isabella (6/1) bay mare owned by Mr Faucit and ridden by Chaston

There was not thought to be a prettier spot for country sport in the whole of England than the Childerdicth course which staged their annual meeting on Thursday 17th April 1873. The course consisted of plough and pasture, a lane and a water jump of fair dimensions which was jumped twice. Thousands were in attendance on the spacious winning meadow, which offered both comfort and convenience. The early races were competitive and thoroughly enjoyable, but the final Open Handicap was a chaotic shambles. Only 3 faced the judge, two owned by Mr A Poole, one of which was the strongly fancied Judge, made 3/1 on favourite by the local bookmakers. The only horse not owned by Mr Poole, Lady Kew, refused early on, taking out the other pair with her, but after some delay The Squire and Judge were remounted and resumed their journey while Lady Kew returned to the paddock. The remaining pair repeatedly declined their fences as if no one had any great desire to win, but over half an hour after starting Judge finally came home 6 lengths ahead of his stablemate. A Stewards enquiry ensued after it was reported that an individual on horseback had guided both horses over a fence, and they concluded that the result should be null and void due to a contravention of the 76th Grand National Rule.
Brentwood Open Handicap over 3 miles

1. Judge (1/3 fav) brown gelding owned and ridden by Mr A Poole
2. The Squire (4/1) bay gelding owned by Mr A Poole and ridden by W Bambridge
3. Did Not finish Lady Kew (4/1) bay mare owned by Mr J Cooper and ridden by B Land

After the debacle of the last race in 1873 it is believed that permission for racing on the Childerditch course was withdrawn by the local landowner Lord Petre. Sir Claude De Crespigny, ever one to cloud accuracy of detail by personal memory lapses, suggested that the final meeting was notorious for 'ramping', a term then used to describe uncontrolled, wild riding. He suspected that one owner, Mr A Poole, who had entered two of the three horses in a race and had arranged for the other one to win, probably as part of a betting scam. Unfortunately, the intended horse, Lady Kew, refused early on whereupon the other two were held up, unseated their jockey and veered off course. The intended fraud was so blatant that a fight amongst spectators occurred. Lord Petre was so appalled by the spectacle that he closed Childerditch racecourse thereafter, with no meeting taking place in 1874, and a meeting on the nearby old Robin Hood course staged in 1875. That meeting, organised by the Brentwood and South Essex Hunt Steeplechase and Hurdle Committee, took place on Thursday 29th April 1875 on a flat, oval, all grass course of 6 furlongs, with a 10 furlong steeplechase course made up of 6 natural fences, which was also all grass except for one clover field, with Mr Marcus Verrall acting as Clerk of the Course.

The final meeting took place on Thursday 29th April 1875.

Much of the information about this course has been found using internet research and is in the public domain. However, useful research sources have been:-

London Illustrated News

Racing Illustrated 1895-1899

The Sporting & Dramatic Illustrated

Northern Turf History Volumes 1-4 by J.Fairfax-Blakeborough

The Sporting Magazine

A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt first published in 1996 ISBN 0 900599 89 8

Racing Calendars which were first published in 1727

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses