Earliest meeting: Monday 22nd May 1732
Final meeting: Friday 17th March 1848
The North Yorkshire market town of Knaresborough lies on the River Nidd just 4 miles east of Harrogate. It was mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book when known as Chenaresburg. Knaresborough Castle is a famous landmark which dates back to circa 1100, and around this time the first Lord of Knaresborough was held by Serlo de Burgh. The town staged a 3-day flat race meeting between Monday 22nd and Wednesday 24th May 1732 which was included in John Cheny's Historical List. Over a century later the town held its own steeplechase meetings, the first of which took place on Friday 20th March 1846. The course of just over a mile was situated near Boroughbridge High Road and contained 32 fences, many of them ‘regular raspers’. The next year the meeting was staged on the same course on Friday 26th March 1847 when the opening Sweepstakes was won by Mr Atkinson’s Silkworm who beat Salt Fish. The concluding £25 Conditional Race saw Ariel beat Cherry Brandy and Cottage Girl. The final meeting took place at Scriven, a small village in the vicinity of Knaresborough, when the opening race saw a field of seven headed by Mr Mewburn’s Clementina. The final race was won by Mr Waddington’s Fortunate Lass..

Sir Charles Slingsby, Mr Alexander Brown, Mr Samuel James Brown (Stewards)

Monday 22nd May 1732
Knaresborough 10 Guineas Purse
1. UNNAMED bay mare owned by Sir Ralph Ashton 4 1 1
2. UNNAMED bay horse owned by Mr Fish 1 2 2
3. UNNAMED bay horse owned by Mr Reading 5 3 3
4. UNNAMED bay mare owned by Mr Wardle 3 4 4
5. UNNAMED chestnut horse owned by Mr Hodges 6 5 dist
6. UNNAMED grey horse owned by Mr Doyle 2 dist
6 ran
Tuesday 23rd May 1732
Knaresborough 12 Guineas Hunters Purse
1. UNNAMED bay horse owned by Mr Metcalfe 2 3 1 1
2. UNNAMED chestnut horse owned by Sir John Kaye 3 1 3 3
3. UNNAMED chestnut horse owned by Mr Wisham 1 2 2 2
3 ran
Wednesday 24th May 1732
Knaresborough 20 Guineas 5-y-o Purse
1. UNNAMED grey horse owned by Mr Dalston 1 2 1
2. UNNAMED chestnut horse owned by Mr Smith 4 1 2
3. UNNAMED chestnut horse owned by Sir Henry Singleton 3 dist
4. UNNAMED bay mare owned by Mr Benson dist
4 ran

Friday 26th March 1847
Knaresborough Sweepstakes over 3 miles
1. Rattler, bay horse owned by Mr Dawson
2. Gipsy Queen, black mare owned by Mr Mason
3. Jerry, bay horse owned by Mr Hornsey
Betting: 2/1 Rattler, 3/1 Jerry, 4/1 Gipsy Queen

The final recorded meeting took place on Friday 17th March 1848.

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