Earliest meeting: Tuesday 7th November 1843
Final meeting: Tuesday 7th November 1843
The Shropshire village of Worthen lies about 13 miles west of Shrewsbury in the Rea Brook valley. Near to the village is the Grade II listed country house of Hampton Hall. The village, along with other small villages of Brockton, Pennerley and Little Worthen form the civil parish known as Worthen with Shelve. The Shrewsbury News and Cambrian Reporter on 8th October 1842, and later editions of Eddowes’s Journals, provided evidence of race meetings taking place in small villages and hamlets throughout Shropshire, and on Tuesday 7th November 1843 Worthern hosted such a meeting. It was held on farm land on the edge of the village, offering a two race programme, the last of which was confined to ponies. The meeting was well organised by Mr Young and Mr Wall, with the principal race going to Mr Clayton’s Wamba after 3 gruelling heats. There is no further evidence of later meetings taking place in the village. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr Young, Mr Wall |
| Principal Races |
Worthen Sweepstake |
Tuesday 7th November 1843
Worthen Sweepstake
1. Wamba, bay gelding owned by Mr Clayton
2. The Saddler, grey gelding owned by Mr Young
3. Polly Hopkins, bay mare owned by Mr Holloway
4. The Devil-among-the-Tailors, brown gelding owned by Mr Lloyd |
| The final meeting took place on Tuesday 7th November 1843. |
| Course today |
In fields on the edge of the village. |
| 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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