1600
It was King James I who first introduced horse racing to the quiet village of Newmarket in the early 1600s. Having stumbled upon the open heathland while hunting, he recognised its potential and built the first grandstand.
1669
During the reign of Charles II the sport truly flourished. A competent rider himself, Charles II loved nothing more than the company of his jockeys. He had a palace built in Newmarket and, from 1669, moved his entire court there twice a year for the racing season.
1680
Newmarket became an ‘unofficial’ capital where affairs of state were conducted alongside racing, hawking, and cock-fighting. Newmarket Racecourse’s Rowley Mile takes its name from the King's nickname, ‘Olde Rowley’—a moniker shared with a favoured stallion at the royal stud, alluding to the many illegitimate children he was known to have sired.
1752
As the membership included some of the most influential men of the day, The Jockey Club gradually acquired authority and prestige, eventually evolving into the ruling body of British racing. In 1752, the Club leased a plot of land in Newmarket where a Coffee House was built as a meeting place. When the lease expired, The Jockey Club purchased the freehold, which is known today as The Jockey Club Rooms.
1933
Over the years, the buildings have grown through a series of additions to the original Coffee Room. In 1933, the front of the premises was rebuilt to a design by Sir Albert Richardson, incorporating the original Coffee Room. Shortly after, a fire gutted the back quarters, which were then reconstructed, also to Sir Albert's design. The resulting arrangement of rooms and the attractive High Street frontage remain unchanged to this day.
2000
Newmarket is still regarded as the ‘HQ’ of British horse racing and the greatest racing centre in the world. Today, one in three local people are employed in the industry, and its influence is evident from the moment you arrive. At any one time, around 2,000 thoroughbreds are in training in Newmarket, and it is a wonderful sight to encounter them on the gallops in the early morning.
today
The town is home to 70 training yards, 80 stud farms, and 70 miles of training gallops managed by Jockey Club Estates. It also hosts numerous blacksmiths, vets, the famous saddlers Gibson Saddlers, the National Stud, the national horse racing Museum, and Tattersalls Bloodstock Auctioneers.
While known as the ‘Sport of Kings’, horse racing has always enjoyed a broad appeal. As the second most popular spectator sport in Britain after football, it has become a cherished institution followed by people from all walks of life.
The Jockey Club Rooms have been at the heart of British racing for over 270 years. As a body of influence and a source of sustained investment in the sport for four centuries, The Jockey Club is an organisation renowned worldwide. In serving the sport, The Club and its members have often found their decisions and policies scrutinised by an inquisitive media and public, much like a government and its politicians.
Indeed, records show that at least six Prime Ministers were also members. For much of The Club’s existence, many of its members divided their time between Parliament and conducting racing’s affairs from The Rooms—some arguably prioritising the latter. Yet, through all the peaks and troughs racing has experienced, The Rooms, set back from Newmarket’s busy High Street, have always retained an air of distinguished mystique.
To learn more about the history of The Jockey Club Rooms, you can order a copy of The Jockey Club Rooms, A Catalogue and History of the Collection by David Oldrey, a former Deputy Senior Steward. We also arrange historic tours of The Rooms and its art collection, by appointment, for groups of 20 or more. These fascinating tours, which last approximately 90 minutes, include humorous tales of racing’s rich and famous and can be arranged to include lunch, dinner, or afternoon tea.
