Earliest meeting: Monday 8th November 1824
Final meeting: Tuesday 10th November 1863
The Staffordshire village of Ipstones lies in the bleak but beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands district of the county, alongside the tiny hamlets of Foxt, Consall Forge and Bottomhouse, and collectively they hosted race meetings in the early 19th century. The ‘County History of Staffordshire’ recorded that racing occasionally took place in Ipstones in the early 1820s, and that the village was still staging meetings in the 1860s. The first 3 day meeting was held from Monday 8th through to Thursday 11th November 1824, with entries made at the Red Lion Inn owned by Mr Malkin. After racing an Ordinary was served at the same venue. The course was on the outside of the village towards Cheadle, and racing continued at this venue for the next 39 years. At the 2 day meeting in 1852 the opening Subscription race and the Ipstones Hurdle on Monday 8th November were both captured by Nancy. On the following day the feature race was the Ipstones Farmers’ Stakes won by Frederick Jerome. The last record of a meeting was a 2 day event from Monday 9th to Tuesday 10th November 1863.

Tuesday 9th November 1852
Ipstones Farmers’ Stakes
1. Frederick Jerome, aged horse owned by Mr Boot
2. Jenny Jones, 4 year old owned by Mr Boy
3. Fanny, 3 year old owned by Mr Flint

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