Newmarket

Newmarket
Newmarket
Statue of Hyperion, Newmarket by Richard Humphrey, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Newmarket is sure to capture the hearts of both horseracing enthusiasts and lovers of quintessential English towns. This is the perfect location to explore the Forest Heath area, which is near Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds, and Ely.

When King James 1 arrived in Newmarket in 1605, he declared it the second capital of England, and since then, the town has been associated with horses and racing. Kings in consecutive generations came to appreciate the flat terrain as an excellent place to ride their horses, particularly King Charles 1. As a man who enjoyed horses and racing, he visited the town regularly and had the first grandstand built on Newmarket Heath. The Sport of Kings was born when Charles 11 rode his own horse and won the Town Plate in Britain! How surprising! Newmarket has not looked back since.

There are said to be some 2,500 horses training in the town at any one time because The Jockey Club, an early administrative body for racing, established its headquarters here.

The National Stud and the National Horseracing Museum are among the attractions here if you are a keen horseracing enthusiast.

Newmarket
EduMark, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

For those with an animal interest, the Animal Health Trust based in Newmarket is well worth a visit. This wonderful charity has been functioning for more than 50 years, caring for thousands of horses and even cats and dogs. This organisation not only offers diagnostic and veterinary services but is also a frontrunner in the research of animal health. The headquarters of the Animal Health Trust is situated in Kentford, where its public library is also open for visitors to explore. 

The town of Newmarket also boasts some fantastic attractions, including the King Edward VII Memorial Gardens, the Clock Tower sitting in the High Street, the Cleveland House, and the War Memorial Gardens. For more exciting activities in Newmarker, see Days Out in Newmarket

Newmarket
Robert Edwards / The Victorian Clock-tower at Newmarket

For some, the notion of retail therapy may be the most appealing. Newmarket’s shopping district is found in the High Streett, where you’ll find wonderful boutiques, shoe shops, and the well-known Goldings of Newmarket. 

There are a variety of wonderful dining establishments in the town, so you can be certain to find what you want. The true English-town feel of Newmarket is accompanied by a friendly community spirit and around 17,000 residents.

Newmarket
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No matter when you decide to visit, and for whatever length of time, this is a worthwhile destination and sanctuary for tourists and real estate seekers. Despite its reputation being built around one very particular sporting arena, Newmarket has a very special and admired character all its own.

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