Earliest meeting: Thursday 11th April 1861
Final meeting: Thursday 14th February 1867
Middlewick Farm lies close to the Essex town of Southminster in the Maldon district of the county. It was famed for holding an annual horse Fair and was also a favourite area for coursing in Victorian times. It is not surprising therefore that Middlewick Farm once held its own races in the mid-1800s. A meeting was organised by the Colchester Garrison on Thursday 11th April 1861 when the opening race was the Middlewick Stakes. It was very well supported and meetings were held at the Farm in 1862 and again on Wednesday 8th April 1863. Four years later racing was once again staged in Middlewick on Government ground when a £25 a side Match was arranged between John Fenn and Captain Thomas. The event was on Thursday 14th February 1867 on a one mile round circuit which had to be traversed twice to complete the 2 mile race. The two runners faced 6 flights of hurdles, with Captain Thomas’ brown horse carrying 10 st 7 lbs to victory over Mr John Fenn’s Needwood who carried 12 stone. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 2 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord Rendlesham, Sir Claude de Crespigny, Colchester Garrison |
| Principal Races |
Middlewick Stakes, Colchester Garrison Stakes |
Thursday 14th February 1867
Middlewick £25 Match over 2 miles
1. Unnamed brown horse owned and ridden by Captain Thomas
2. Needwood, aged horse owned by Mr John Fenn and ridden by Walter Roofe |
The final meeting took place on Thursday 14th February 1867. |
| Course today |
Initially at Middlewick Farm and then on Government 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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