Rowley Mile & July Course · Newmarket · Suffolk CB8
Newmarket: two racecourses, one town
Newmarket is the headquarters of British racing and it has two separate courses, used at different times of year, on opposite sides of the same heath. The Rowley Mile hosts the spring and autumn fixtures; the July Course handles the summer. They are not the same place.
The Rowley Mile and the July Course, both at Newmarket, both signposted, and used in different seasons. Turning up at the wrong one is a genuine possibility and it is a proper detour, not a walk across a car park.
Rowley Mile or July Course?
Your ticket will say. It is the first thing we ask and the one thing worth checking twice.
Spring and autumn
The Guineas meetings and the autumn fixtures. Grander, and the more formal of the two.
Summer
Thatched buildings, garden party feel, and the more relaxed of the two by a distance.
Not adjacent
Separated by the heath. A drive rather than a walk between them.
Stables everywhere
Thousands of horses in training. Traffic includes strings of them crossing the roads.
Kent to Suffolk
Over the crossing and up the M11. A straightforward run in an unusual direction.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Dartford & Bluewater | 76 miles | 1h 40m – 2h 10m |
| Bromley & Orpington | 78 miles | 1h 45m – 2h 15m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 80 miles | 1h 45m – 2h 15m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 85 miles | 1h 50m – 2h 25m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 86 miles | 1h 50m – 2h 25m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 90 miles | 1h 55m – 2h 30m |
| Ashford & Tenterden | 106 miles | 2h 15m – 2h 55m |
| Canterbury & Whitstable | 110 miles | 2h 20m – 3h |
A day at the races
Racing runs to a published card, which makes the timings more predictable than most sport.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Gates open | Usually a couple of hours before the first race |
| First race | Early afternoon for a standard flat meeting |
| Races every 30 to 35 minutes | Six or seven on a card |
| Last race | Usually late afternoon, and it is published in advance |
| The exit | Everyone leaves within twenty minutes of the last race |
| We collect from the last race | Back from the entrance, on a road that moves |
A day at Newmarket
Check the course before you check anything else
Two racecourses in one town, both called Newmarket, used in different seasons and separated by the heath. The Rowley Mile in spring and autumn, the July Course in summer. It is on your ticket, it takes a second to confirm, and it saves a detour of the kind that ruins the start of a day.
The July Course is the relaxed one
Thatched buildings, lawns and something close to a garden party in feel, and it is the one to pick for a group who want a day out rather than a formal occasion. The Rowley Mile is grander and hosts the bigger meetings, which suits a corporate day or a Guineas fixture. Different atmospheres entirely, and worth knowing which you have.
Racing timings are unusually reliable
Unlike cricket or football, a race card is published in advance and run to it. The last race is at a known time and the crowd leaves within twenty minutes of it. That makes a racecourse booking one of the more predictable jobs we do, with a set collection time rather than an open return.
Nobody should drive to a race meeting
This is the whole argument. A day at the races involves a bar, a paddock and several hours, and the person who volunteers to drive spends it watching everyone else enjoy themselves. Split between eight or ten, transport costs less per head than the first round, and Newmarket is under two hours from most of Kent.
Newmarket questions
Two courses, one town.
Are there really two racecourses at Newmarket?
Yes. The Rowley Mile is used in spring and autumn, and the July Course in summer. They are on opposite sides of the heath and it is a drive between them, not a walk.
How do we know which one we are going to?
Your ticket will say. It is the first thing we ask when you book, and it is worth checking twice.
Which course is more relaxed?
The July Course, with thatched buildings and lawns and something close to a garden party feel. The Rowley Mile is grander and hosts the bigger meetings.
How far is Newmarket from Kent?
Around seventy-five to a hundred and ten miles, roughly an hour and three quarters to three hours over the Dartford Crossing and up the M11.
Is there a road charge?
The Dartford Crossing applies both ways. We confirm whether it sits inside your quote before you book.
How does the return work?
A set collection time. Race cards are published in advance and run to them, so the last race is at a known time and the crowd leaves within twenty minutes.
Is there a dress code?
It varies by enclosure and by meeting. Check the racecourse's guidance for the enclosure on your ticket, particularly for the bigger fixtures.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking and unaffected by traffic or delays leaving the course.
Racecourses and guides
The meetings worth travelling for.