Monument record 6734/1 - C18th/C19th Racecourse

{1} Horse racing had been going on, on the Freemans Common as it was then called, at least since 1652. A popular meeting was already being run at Harlestone Heath but in 1658 Northampton Borough tried to bring the profitable event into town by holding official meetings; it failed against the established Harlestone meet, however. In 1727 they tried again. By now the course had been properly graded and laid out as the New Course. The Common presented some problems as the town’s Freemen had control of the area with certain grazing and other rights which they vigorously defended. In 1778 the Northampton Enclosure Act was passed confirming pasturage rights to the Freemen, but with specific provision for horse racing to continue. By 1882 the Freemen’s rights were still causing annoyance, indeed so the Northampton Corporation Act was passed, acquiring the Racecourse for the townsfolk in return for paying the trustees £80 a year. Although the meetings were popular, the race course itself was not liked by jockeys, who considered it too tight and dangerous, particularly at the west end. The race track in places was only defined by “dollies”, temporary course markers. The Racecourse was closed in 1904 after several accidents resulting in deaths of spectators. On Tuesday, September 27th,1904 the Jockey Club announced that the Racecourse was unfit for racing, that no more meetings would be allowed there, and that, therefore, the Autumn Meeting was cancelled.

{2} The first references to race meetings come in the C17th. Races were inaugurated in 1632, but initially these were at Harlestone Firs and Dallington Heath. Racing had to be stopped because of accidents in 1681, but patronage by Lord Spencer allowed them to start on a new site in 1734. Under the Inclosure Act of 1778 control of the 117-acre Racecourse was vested in the Trustees of The Freemen's Commons. The Pytchley Hunt Races were held annually on or around 25th March at the close of the hunting season, and were generally well-attended.
Northampton Corporation acquired the land in 1882, but the Freemen continued to hold rights of pasture on the Common.
Racing ceased in 1904 when the Jockey Club closed the course. Many accidents had occurred with the public free to cross the track due to a lack of preventative fencing. The stepped Tattershall grandstand was moved to Plumpton Racecourse leaving just the Racecourse Pavilion and another stand.
In the years following the cessation of racing the Corporation began to build pathways, plant avenues of trees and shrubs, and construct facities for sports other than cricket on The Racecourse. Trees planted then formed part of the future avenues planted in the 1920s and 1953.
Many of the improvements were for naught however, as during the First World War the transformed park was converted into an army camp (Talavera) and became a town of tents and temporary stables in 1914. It was used to billet the Welsh Division of 16,000 men. Aerial photography indicates a number of possible reburied practice trenches in the middle of the park towards St George's Avenue.
During and after the war 25 acres of the park was given over to allotments.
In 1922 a children's playground was installed in the western half of the park, the so-called Happy Valley.
Enough was happening in the park by 1930 that the Corporation had the Victorian Racecourse Pavilion restored with the old stand joined on and converted into a sports pavilion by the architects Law and Harris.

{3} The track occupied the extents of Freemans Common, and two buildings of the pavilion/grandstand are situated in the south-east.

{4} The circuit of the course is itself depicted, as is the site of a stand or pavilion picked out in red to the south-east of the course.

<1> Burman A., 2004, County Tales: Races Run, (checked) (Newspaper cuttings). SNN107682.

<2> Butler A., 2007, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment for The Racecourse Park, Northampton August 2007, p.4-5 (checked) (Report). SNN108091.

<3> Wood; Law, 1847, Town Map of Northampton, (unchecked) (Map). SNN752.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1811-9, First Edition Ordnance Survey Surveyors Drawings, Sheet 253 (Map). SNN104902.

Record last edited

Oct 23 2024 10:29AM