Ipswich Racecourse
Encyclopedia
The Ipswich Racecourse is an area of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...

 that was formerly a racecourse.

The early years

The course was on Nacton Heath just East of Ipswich, although now a suburb, and was 1 mile and 7 furlongs in circumference. The course ran along the line of the modern Lindberg Road, Cobham Road, parallel to Felixstowe Road as far the modern Hatfield Road before a six furlong finish straight running parallel to Nacton Road to complete the loop.

The earliest mention of annual race meetings in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...

 was 1710 when a Town Purse was run for by "high mettled racers".

A royal plate was gained in 1727 which gave the meetings good support for the next half a century, with the Ipswich Journal running an advertisement for:
"A new stand on the race ground. Having been requested by several Gentlemen to erect a covered stand for the accommodation of gentleman attending the races, the public are hereby respectfully informed that a complete and elegant stand is now finished, with an inscription against it in golden letters, "The Gentleman's Stand" where gentlemen may have places at two shillings and sixpence each.


Popularity declined slightly until the garrison came to Ipswich in the early 19th century where the officers brought their support to the races.

The course ran a mix of flat and hunt racing, although the last flat race was in 1884 following the withdrawal of the Queen's Plate. From then, it became exclusively a National Hunt
National Hunt racing
National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...

 course.

The hurdles were unpopular with jockeys and horses alike which, although built to National Hunt rules, lacked wings, which increased the risk of the horses running out unless the jockey approached the centre of the hurdle
Hurdling (horse race)
A Hurdle race in England is a National Hunt horse race where the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles that are over three and a half feet high. They are typically made of brush, that has some flexability. Hurdle races always have a minimum of eight hurdles and a minimum distance of two miles ....

.

The last race meeting was 29 March 1911 after support had fallen steadily.

Current Usage

The area has since been developed into housing and a park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...

, which is known as "Racecourse Park". It comprises a sports area, children's play area and public toilets.

The Racecourse Pub (on Nacton Road) reputedly stands on the site of the finishing line. In 2009 the Racecourse went bankrupt and was demolished later in the year. A Tesco Express and five homes now occupy the site, which was completed in early 2010.

External links

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