Newmarket has two distinct racecourses, the Rowley Mile and the July Course, rather than one venue used unchanged throughout the year. They give the town’s racing calendar different settings, with the July Course also hosting the Newmarket Nights concert series. The shared name can conceal that difference for a first-time visitor. Checking which course stages a meeting is part of understanding how racing works in a town built around thoroughbreds.
The Newmarket Town Plate preserves a connection with Charles II and a racing route quite different from the better-known modern fixtures. The race uses the historic Round Course, which is brought into action for this particular occasion. The king helped shape Newmarket’s development after the Restoration and was himself a participant in racing. That surviving tradition gives the town a direct sporting link with its royal past.
National Horseracing Museum. Explore sporting art and racing heritage on the former palace estate of Charles II, with retired racehorses also on site.
The National Stud. Book a guided visit for a closer look at breeding and stud life beyond an afternoon of racing.
Newmarket has 18,855 residents.
