A record written in 1824 indicated that racing took place in Nunnington, a small village in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, as early as 1630. The record further confirmed that the racecourse had a permanent grandstand, which was unusual for the time, and implies that the meeting was important and well-supported, although this would have been pre-Racing Calendars and Sporting Magazines. However, the one mile racecourse would have been accessible to many training establishments nearby, including Black Hambleton, Heelmsley, Middleham and Northallerton. |
Near to the village, and separated from it by a stone bridge and Caulkley’s Bank, is Nunnington Hall which was built by the 1st Marquess of Northampton, William Parr. He was the brother of Catherine Parr, wife of Henry VIII. The grounds extend to 8 acres and have the River Rye running through them. |
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 |
