Earliest meeting: Thursday 8th October 1868
Final meeting: Thursday 9th September 1869
Kempsey is a small village in Worcestershire on the River Severn, situated just 5 kilometres from Worcester. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book and its name comes from Kemys Eye, or the island of Kemys, who was a saxon chief. Back in the middle of the 19th century the village ran its own race meetings for 2 years. They were first held on Thursday 8th October 1868, under the guidance of the Earl of Coventry, on the village Review Ground which was adapted to form a spacious racecourse on the banks of the Severn. The meeting opened with the Kempsey Handicap Stakes over 6 furlongs which went to Mr P Merton’s Confederate, and later in the day he also won the West of Worcestershire Welter Race. The final meeting took place the next year on Thursday 9th September 1869, although an additional meeting was held in February at nearby Norton-juxta-Kempsey. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr F W Knight & Mr W E Dowdeswell (both MPs) |
| Principal Races |
Kempsey Handicap Stakes, Kempsey Hunters Hurdle |
Thursday 8th October 1868
Kempsey Hunters Hurdle
1. Clara, bay filly owned by Mr T Drax
2. Defiance, bay mare owned by Mr J S Walker
3. Belle of Cadiz, brown mare owned by Mr Cramp
Betting: 5/4 Clara, 3/1 Defiance, 5/1 Belle of Cadiz |
| The final meeting took place on Thursday 9th September 1869. |
| Course today |
On the Review Ground. |
| If you have photos, postcards, racecards. badges, newspaper cuttings or book references about the old course, or can provide a photo of how the ground on which the old racecourse stood looks today, then email johnwslusar@gmail.com |
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 |
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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 |
| Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent. |
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