Earliest meeting: Saturday 14th August 1725
Final meeting: circa 1870
The tiny Suffolk village of Snape, with a population today of about 600, lies on the River Alde close to the larger seaside town of Aldeburgh. The village boasts a rich history, and was once the site of an Anglo-Saxon ship burial, but today it is better known for its links with the Aldeburgh Music Festival, and its tourist attraction, the Snape Maltings. However, in the early years of the 18th century Snape had its own racecourse, a 9-furlong oval course located on the banks of the River Albe on land owned by the Earl of Strafford.
Lieutenant-General Thomas Wentworth, eldest son of Sir William Wentworth the High Sheriff of Yorkshire, was born in early September 1672 and baptized on 17th September 1672. He began his military career in 1687, while on 31st December 1688 he joined the Regiment of the Horse in Colchester as a cornet player. On 16th October 1695 his cousin, William Wentworth, the 2nd Earl of Strafford, died without heir, so Thomas succeeded him to become the 1st Earl of Strafford of the 2nd creation. On 6th September 1711 Thomas married Anne Johnson, daughter of Sir Henry Johnson, the MP for Aldeburgh. When Sir Henry died on 29th September 1719, he left a large number of estates, including one at Snape, which passed to his daughter and Thomas and Sir Henry’s grandchildren.
The earliest record of racing at Snape was in 1725 which attracted large crowds despite the difficulties visitors experienced in travelling to Snape. In those early days the main races involved Galloways, although later meetings featured pony racing, with the odd thoroughbred opportunity thrown in for good measure. Such was the success of the meetings that, in due course, it became necessary to have a road built and managed by the Aldeburgh Turnpike Company.
On Saturday 14th August 1725 a race meeting was staged on Snape Racecourse as part of the Dunningworth Fair which began on Thursday 12th August 1725. The principal race was the Snape Plate for £10, donated by the Earl of Strafford, and was confined to Galloways which had not started for any Plate of £10 or more. The Galloways had to be shown at the White Lyon Tavern or Swan Inn, Aldeburgh, or the Crown Inn, Snape, on the 12th August 1725 when the race articles were read out.
By 1728 the meeting was extended to a second day and was scheduled to begin on Monday 12th August 1728 with the 'Diversion of the Day'. This was followed on Tuesday 13th August with the Snape Silver Cup, value £10, donated by the Earl of Strafford.
Thomas Wentworth, the 1st Earl of Strafford, died of kidney stones on 15th November 1739, and although races were held from time to time until the 1870s, they do not appear to have been an annual event.
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
