Earliest meeting: March 1727
Final meeting: March 1748
Kirkby Lonsdale is a small Lake District town on the River Lune in Cumbria, but historically the town, some 13 miles south-east of Kendal, was in Westmorland. The town was granted a market charter in 1227 which allowed for an annual Fair and horse market in the area of the town called Horsemarket. The first results from races held in Kirkby were in Baily’s Racing Register in 1731. However, prior to that the local Northumbrian paper, the Newcastle Courant, advertised Kirkby Lonsdale races in March 1727, specifying the terms that needed to be met regarding entries and stabling of horses prior to the races if they were to contest the £5 Plate and other sundry races. A famous jockey of the age, John Singleton, was born at Kendal in 1732 and rode Allabaculia, the first winner of the St Leger, on 24th September 1776. However, he rode his first winner at Kirkby Lonsdale in 1748, and his last at Chester in 1784. He was to die penniless and destitute in a Chester Workhouse. The final meeting took place in 1748.

This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below.

Sunday 29th April 1731

Kirby Lonsdale £10 Plate
1. Touch-and-Take owned by Mr Smith
2. Creeper owned by Mr Thornton
3. Camilla owned by Mr Salkield
4. Fuastina owned by Mr Jenison

In early turf history there were 3 famous jockeys named John Singleton. The most famous was born in Melbourne, near Pocklington in Yorkshire, in 1715 and was thought to be the first professional jockey. He rode Bay Malton to a sequence of victories extending to almost 5 years at Newmarket and York. A second John Singleton was born at Kendal in 1732 and rode Allabaculia, the first winner of the St Leger, on 24th September 1776. He rode his first winner at Kirkby Lonsdale in 1748, and his last at Chester in 1784. He was to die penniless and destitute in a Chester Workhouse.  John Singleton Junior rode Portia to Oaks success in 1791, Caelia to Oaks success in 1793 and then emanated his father when partnering Orville to St Leger success in 1802.

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