Julie and Wayne went to Newmarket

Back in August while I and my little family traversed museums across East Anglia, my in-laws, Julie and Wayne, ventured out on their excursions to explore the surrounding areas of Cambridge. One of the places they visited was Newmarket, while on their way to see Ely Cathedral. Wayne has travelled extensively and has racked up quite a list of places he wants to show to his Julie, and Newmarket is one of them. The name of the town is a clue to its rich history. It is an ancient market town and one of the oldest in Suffolk, if not in all of England. For over 800 years, it has hosted weekly market days. The town's location was convenient as back in the days it was only a day's journey from other old towns in the region.

Nowadays, it is renowned as the headquarters of the horse racing world. Not only in the UK but globally, this facility boasts state-of-the-art equine medicine and research facilities.

People have been living and working in the Newmarket area since ancient times, it was once part of the territory of the powerful Iron Age Iceni tribe. Legend has it that the Iceni were expert breeders of horses of exceptional quality. Ever since those times, the people in the region have had a deep affinity for horses.

Newmarket sounds like a beautiful place to visit, it boasts plenty of pubs, restaurants, cafes and attractions, such as its Grade II listed buildings, a charming high street and let us not forget the race courses and facilities. Julie and Wayne found it fascinating to see that behind the high street were large houses that had stables backing onto the countryside, where horses are trained and exercised. Julie mentioned that there were many jockeys casually walking around town, fully dressed in colourful jockey gear and boots. She loved it! As we’ve said before that’s one of her happy places, a nice cafe with her Wayne chatting about everything and nothing, solving all the world’s problems while watching the world go by and the fascinating people who inhabit it.

Newmarket was a special place for the late Queen Elizabeth who visited the town often in her lifetime to see the royal horses in training. The town's connection with the royal family dates back to James I's discovery of Newmarket while hunting in the early 1600s. He loved the freedom of the area so much that he made it his royal resort and once a palace was built and visits became regular, his entourage followed suit and built large houses with stables both in and around the town. As interest and popularity of horse racing increased, there was a growing need to breed finer horses and this laid the foundations of modern Newmarket and the racing industry. Ever since then, Newmarket has been a favourite spot for all royal equestrian enthusiasts.

It's worth mentioning that the race courses host open days during the National Racehorse Week which happens to be on this week. These celebrations take place nationwide and are a great opportunity for visitors to explore the racecourses and the equestrian facilities. It's a fantastic chance to experience first-hand the love, care and attention that goes into looking after racehorses.

Something that could also be fun to experience would be the Newmarket Nights, where in summertime live music events are offered alongside the races. Perhaps an idea for a Christmas present for the in-laws, a trip to the pub in town, horse racing and a gig after?

Lísa x