Explore Newmarket through two subjects closely connected with the town: the history of horse racing and its earlier market and architectural history. There are also specific historical points of reference on Newmarket Heath and in the townscape. When planning your visit, it helps to distinguish between cultural sites, landscape features and seasonal offerings.
Horse Racing and Heritage
Newmarket is considered the place where horse racing began around three and a half centuries ago and from which it spread around the world. Palace House stands on the site of a palace built in 1671 by Charles II for his twice-yearly visits to Newmarket. Today, Palace House is part of Newmarket’s National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art. The history of the palace and the heritage of horse racing come together in one place.
The National Horseracing Museum is set on a five-acre site in the heart of Newmarket, Suffolk. The site includes the Packard Galleries of British Sporting Art at Palace House. The daily Meet the Horses sessions cover the retraining and aftercare of racehorses and are included in general admission. Check the day’s schedule before your visit if you would like to attend a session.
Another architectural point of interest is the Grade II* listed Trainer’s House at Palace House Stables. It contains a surviving central wall from a large 17th-century stable.
Market History and Local Culture
Newmarket’s medieval market charter was among the earliest granted in Suffolk. It was followed by a royal fair charter in 1223. These charters form a distinct historical thread alongside the racing history later associated with the town: the market charter came first, followed by the royal fair charter in 1223.
The Church of St Mary is a Grade II* listed building. Every June, it hosts the Newmarket Jigsaw Festival and the British Jigsaw Championships. If you are planning to visit Newmarket in June, check the exact festival dates when arranging your trip. The local cuisine also has a connection to the town: Newmarket sausages are a speciality that residents have long enjoyed.
Heath, Racecourse and Guided Tours
Devil’s Dyke lies on Newmarket Heath. The feature is of Anglo-Saxon origin and dates from the 7th century AD, around the 600s. Newmarket’s famous Gallops cover 2,500 acres of training grounds. Another named racing feature is The Bunbury Mile, the name of the one-mile straight on the July Course. The Gallops refers to the training grounds, while The Bunbury Mile is a specific section of the July Course.
Tours of The National Stud last around 90 minutes and include sections by coach and on foot. The tours include meeting visiting mares and their foals. The tour format may vary by season; meeting the mares and foals also depends on the time of year and the stud’s activities. The National Stud is the only thoroughbred stud farm in the United Kingdom to offer tours to the general public.
The Jockey’s Trail starts in Newmarket and is a cycling route. For planning purposes, the two formats are distinct: the tour of The National Stud lasts around 90 minutes and includes sections by coach and on foot, while The Jockey’s Trail is a cycling tour.
Getting to Newmarket
Newmarket station has regular train services to Cambridge in the west and Ipswich in the east. The bus station is served by various local bus services, with connections to Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds. Train and bus services may change, so check the latest timetables before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Saxmundham, Orford, Kettleburgh, Halesworth, Wenhaston, Middleton, Tannington, Cavendish.
For the main travel overview: Suffolk.
