Newmarket
Located just 15 miles from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, Newmarket is the Home of Horseracing.
It is here that the country’s leading racehorses are put through their paces, ever since King Charles II put the place on the map.
Newmarket has over fifty horse training stables, two large racetracks, the Rowley Mile, and the July Course, and one of the most extensive and prestigious horse training grounds in the world.
The town is home to over 3,500 racehorses!
When we visited Newmarket on our way up north, we drove along Heath Road to watch the horses training on The Gallops, the wide heath just to the east of the town centre latticed with white posts and rails.
You can also go to the races, take a guided tour, pop into the National Horseracing Museum, visit the National Stud, and the Jockey Club.
Stour Valley Path
Newmarket sits on the border of two counties – Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
So, there are plenty of walks through the lush countryside surrounding Newmarket.
The first stretch of the Stour Valley Path starts in Newmarket at the clock tower. The Stour Valley Path spans 60-mile, which trickles its way besides one of England’s best-loved rivers, the Stour.
Icknield Way
Newmarket is also a stop (no. 226) on the Icknield Way Trail. Crossing six counties, the Icknield Way Trail is a 170-mile route.
It links the Peddars Way National Trail in Suffolk with the Ridgeway National Trail in Buckinghamshire to the Wessex Ridgeway.
Devil’s Dyke
Nestling within a triangle created by Cambridge, Newmarket and Ely, the Devil’s Dyke starts in the village of Reach.
It forms a line over 7 miles in length and up to 10 meters high. Because of the height, you will enjoy fantastic panoramic views across the countryside to Burwell and Swaffham Prior.
Bishops Way
Finally, you can expore the Bishops Way. A wonderful medieval track once used by the Bishops of Ely as a route to their palace in Downham.
Today, you can walk through what was once the monastic settlement of Aethelwold, Bishop of Winchester.
Cool Places to Explore: Selwyn College | Anglesey Abbey | Lavenham | Bury St Edmunds | Wimpole Estate.
Cool Places to Stay: The Packhorse Inn | Blacksmith’s Cottage.
