Old Cumbria Gazetteer |
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| race course, Penrith | ||
| Penrith Race Course | ||
| locality:- | Penrith | |
| civil parish:- | Penrith (formerly Cumberland) | |
| county:- | Cumbria | |
| locality type:- | race course (once) | |
| locality type:- | golf course (now) | |
| coordinates:- | NY515321 (etc) | |
| 1Km square:- | NY5132 | |
| 10Km square:- | NY53 | |
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| evidence:- | old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 49 16) placename:- Race Course placename:- Penrith Racecourse |
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| source data:- | Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25
inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton,
Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948. "RACE COURSE & Grand Stand" |
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| evidence:- | old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions) |
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| source data:- | Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England,
Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition
by Richard Gough, published London, 1789. goto sourcePage 188:- "..." "Penrith lies in a bottom, the beacon standing on a high hill as you enter the road above which is the course. ..." |
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| evidence:- | descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843) |
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| source data:- | Guide book, A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by
Rev William Ford, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, by W
Edwards, 12 Ave Maria Lane, Charles Tilt, Fleet Street, William
Smith, 113 Fleet Street, London, by Currie and Bowman,
Newcastle, by Bancks and Co, Manchester, by Oliver and Boyd,
Edinburgh, and by Sinclair, Dumfries, 1839. goto source Page 132:- "... On the north side of the town [Penrith] is the excellent race-course, furnished with a grand-stand, built in 1814. Horse-races and stag-hunts are held in the autumn, and attract a large concourse of spectators. ..." |
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| text:- |
Of 'ancient origin'. In 1765:- |
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| "[Three days racing, 8-10th May. All events were valued at ~50. Winners were: Slow
and Easy, a grey owned by Mr Fawcett; Ignotus, a bay owned by Sir P Leicester; and
Elephant, a chestnut owned by Mr Southeron.]" |
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| St James's Chronicle, 1769:- |
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| "[PENRITH RACES, 1769 / To be run for on Wednesdaye, 24th May, on a new race ground
at Penrith, Cumberland. Fifty pounds by any 4 y.o. horse, mare or gelding carry 8
st. 7 lbs. Two mile heats. / Thursday, 25th, Fifty pounds by any horse, etc., 5 y.o.,
carrying 9 st. Three-mile heats. / Friday, 26th, Fifty pounds by any 5, 6 y.o and
aged horse, etc. Five year olds to carry 8 st. 3 lbs., six-year-olds 9 st. and aged
9 st. 8 lbs. Four mile heats. / All horses, etc., that run for the above plates, to
be entered at the Market Cross on Saturday, the 20th of May, between the hours of
three and six o'clock in the afternoon. The owner of each horse, etc., to subscribe
and pay Three Guineas at the time of entrance towards the Races, and two shillings
and sixpence for the Clerk of the Race. Certficates of each horse, etc., to be produced
at the time of enterance. Three reputed running horses to enter and start for the
above Plates or no Race. / If only one horse, etc., enters to receive ten pounds,
if two, fifteen between them and their Subscription paid at the time of enterance
returned. / All the above Plates to be run for in the Royal Manner, and any dispute
that may arise to be determined by the Stewards, or whom they shall appoint. / The
several plates will be paid without any deduction or perquisite. / Stewards: Charles
Howard, Jun., Esq., and Andrew Whelpdale, Esq.]" |
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| The local hunt, the Inglewood Hunt held meetings in conjunction with the races, and
there were related sports like cock fighting. In 1822 the meeting was in October and
called the 'Inglewood Hunt, Penrith Races'. |
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| Sporting Magazine, 1835:- |
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| "[At Penrith, in Cumberland, the two day's racing presents of itself but little attraction,
but yet the meeting is rendered one of the gayest in the North of England, by the
interest which attaches to the stag-hunts, which take place at the same time. It is
customary there to have the races on the first and third days, and a stag-hunt on
the second and fourth days of the meeting. The latter takes place in the ancient forest
of Inglewood, renowned even in Saxon times as the favourite hunting place of the Scotch
kings, to whom Cumberland belonged.]" |
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| A local directory, 1829:- |
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| "[On the north side of the town is an excellent one mile racecourse, enclosed with
a stone wall and ornamented with a handsome grandstand, which was built in 1814. There
are horse races and stag hunts held here on the last four days in the first week of
October, attracting large concourses of spectators, amongst whom are generally many
persons of rank and wealth.]" |
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| Cumberland News, 1934:- |
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| "[If anybody wants to buy a racecourse there will be one for sale in a fortnight -
at Penrith. Although it is called a racecourse there will be few people alive who
remember it being used for regular horse racing, ...]" |
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| It was bought by the golf club, who were already tenants. |
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| Fairfax-Blakeborough 1950 |
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| hearsay:- |
The course was an irregular rectangle with rounded corners. The grand stand seems
to have been where the golf club house is now (2008). |
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