Earliest meeting: Wednesday 11th March 1852
Final meeting: Thursday 10th March 1853
The Lancashire market town of Kirkham lies about 11 miles west of Preston and about the same distance from the seaside town of Blackpool. It was the site of a Roman fortress built on Carr Hill and was originally known as Kirkham-in-Amounderness. It was mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book when known as Chicheham. In the middle of the 19th century the town held its own race meetings, initially on Wednesday 11th February 1852 when the Innkeeper’s Handicap was won by Captain Peyton’s Clatterbox beating Heroine. The feature race was the Fylde Grand Handicap which fell to Carrig, while the concluding Selling Stakes was won by Mr Noblet’s Saltpetre. A second meeting took place the next year on Thursday 10th March 1853 when the Fylde Grand Handicap was won by Mr Balfe’s bay mare Daphne. Point-to-point races were still being staged at Thornley with Wheatley, near Preston, by the Kirkham Hunt in the 20th century, including a meeting on Friday 6th April 1900. Races at Carr Hill continued up to the start of World War II, but it is uncertain whether they began again after the War had ended. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Captain Peyton, Mr Noblet |
| Principal Races |
Fylde Grand Handicap, Innkeepers Handicap, Selling Stakes |
Wednesday 11th February 1852
Fylde Grand Handicap
1. Carrig, aged horse owned by Mr Bourke
2. Vengeance, aged horse owned by Mr Balfe
3. Isaac, aged horse owned by Mr Noblet |
The only recorded meeting took place on Thursday 10th March 1853. |
| Course today |
At Thornley with Wheatley to the East of Preston, with Kirkham to the West of Preston. |
| 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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