Earliest meeting: Friday 7th March 1851
Final meeting: Friday 7th March 1851
The Cumbrian village of Coniston lies in the southern part of the Lake District National Park surrounded by beautiful countryside. It began as a farming area, also finding rich resources of slate and copper, but once the railways came it was better known as a tourist location. Although the Furness Railway did not open until 1859, the village held its own race meeting 8 years before this date on Friday 14th March 1851. The 3 mile course was near the Waterhead Hotel, owned by Mr J G Marshall and described as more like a nobleman’s mansion than a country hotel. The two race card finished with a Selling Handicap over a mile which saw Mr Milne’s Deceiver beat Mr Harrison’s The Welshman. After racing Dinner was served to a large crowd at the Hotel.

Mr J Fell (Steward), Mr G Woodhouse (Steward), Mr J G Marshall (Proprietor)

Friday 7th March 1851
Coniston Handicap Sweepstake over 3 miles
1. The Wild Hero, aged horse owned by Mr J Lamplugh
2. The Old Hack, aged horse owned by Mr Fearn
3. Yorkshireman, brown gelding owned by Mr J Lamplugh

The only recorded meeting took place on Friday 14th March 1851.

Much of the information about this course has been found using internet research and is in the public domain. However, useful research sources have been:-

London Illustrated News

Racing Illustrated 1895-1899

The Sporting & Dramatic Illustrated

Northern Turf History Volumes 1-4 by J.Fairfax-Blakeborough

The Sporting Magazine

A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt first published in 1996 ISBN 0 900599 89 8

Racing Calendars which were first published in 1727

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses