Earliest Meeting: Tuesday 21st May 1689
Final Meeting: Tuesday 10th June 1690
The Wiltshire town of Melksham, on the River Avon, is located about 5 miles north-east of Trowbridge and 6 miles south of Chippenham. The Lord of the Manor and of the Hundred in 1541 was Sir Thomas Seymour who had gained the property and land from the Nuns and Priory who had held it for the previous 250 years. Sir Thomas, in turn, sold it to Henry Brouncker in 1550, with the next 3 generations of the Brouncker family residing in Melksham. In the latter years of the 17th century races were organised on Melksham Common on Whit Tuesday. The earliest record of a meeting was on Tuesday 21st May 1689 when a £20 Plate was contested for gentlemen riders, each carrying 12 stone, over 3 heats of 4 miles, with the winner sold for 20 guineas. On the same card there was a £10 Plate where each horse carried 10 stone, and the winner was sold for 10 guineas.

The next year the races were staged on Whit Tuesday,10th June 1690 when there was a card of 2 races, a £20 Plate with each carrying 12 stone, and a £10 Plate with each carrying 10 stone. Horses had to appear the week beforehand, between 10 and 11 o'clock, so that their names, size, colour and markings could be recorded and, once again, the winner of the first Plate was to be sold for 20 guineas, and the second Plate for 10 guineas.

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