Vincent Hinde Collection

Aldershot Racecourse

Earliest meeting: Monday 22nd July 1861
Final meeting under rules: 13th April 1927
Mention the Hampshire town of Aldershot and the first thing that comes to mind is the Army. Indeed the first Flat racing to take place in the town was on the edge of the Army Camp on Aldershot Heath on Monday 22nd July 1861, and racing continued at this venue for 20 years before a final meeting on 23rd July 1881. However, prior to this spell of 'official' Flat racing there was a series of race meetings organised by the Officers in the local Garrison. The earliest record of such races was a two day meeting on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd May 1856 on an oval, one mile course with straight half mile run-in, in Long Valley near Caesar's Camp hill. The Officers borrowed the necessary equipment to stage the meeting from nearby Odiham Racecourse, and full results from the meeting are shown below, courtesy of the British Library Online. Such was the success of the meeting that a second meeting was planned some months later, although no actual race details are available. Furthermore, it is believed that a further Garrison meeting was held the next year in May 1857, although once again no firm details are available. During this spell there was a single National Hunt meeting on 12th April 1867. The land on which that first course was laid out became an Army Training ground, while a new course, the Tweseldown course situated approximately 3 miles from Aldershot near the village of Church Crookham, opened in 1884. From 1892 until 1920 Royal Artillery meetings were staged on this course, although the last official meeting under rules took place on 13th April 1927. Between 1928 and 1939 Bona Fide Hunt meetings were organised and afterwards point to point meetings took place until the final meeting on 4th March 2012.