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Chester Races

www.chester-races.com

Chester Racecourse The Roodee

Chester Racecourse to be used as large-scale Covid vaccination centre

https://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/news/19071286.chester-racecourse-used-large-scale-covid-vaccination-centre/

CHESTER Racecourse is one of 18 large-scale Covid-19 vaccination centres due to open across England tomorrow 8th February 2021.
A vaccination hub to help the huge NHS Covid jab programme.
Food and Drink Festival

www.chesterfoodanddrink.co.uk
Taste Cheshire Food & Drink Festival
TBA 2025

Chester Racecourse Chester CH1 2LY Cheshire U.K.
info@chesterfoodanddrink.co.uk
01244 956 414
https://www.facebook.com/TasteCheshireFoodAndDrinkFestival
Performance Event Venue & Festival
Taste Cheshire Food & Drink Festival is the biggest event of its type to take place anywhere in the UK this Bank Holiday. Over 150 exhibitors.
Chester Food and Drink Festival is an annual event at Chester racecourse, set over 3 days it showcases food from around the country.
This fantastic family friendly event is held over three days in Chester City Centre Racecourse outside venue.
Tickets are normally available at the door for cash or card payment. Please check before you go.
Winter Wonderland at Chester Racecourse
Event TBA
Winter Wonderland
Chester Racecourse
Next Years Fixtures
TBA

www.chester-races.co.uk

Chester Racecourse Events
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Chester Racecourse Fixtures
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Chester Races May Festival

Check out Inside Track
Chester Races new e-magazine
http://www.chester-races.co.uk

The oldest Racecourse in Britain
65 acres
Chester Race Company Limited, The Racecourse, Chester CH1 2LY
enquiries@chester-races.com
01244 304 600
www.chester-races.co.uk
Going Conditions on track
Events
Race Day Information
Online map of the location from www.multimap.com >>>

The Name 'Roodee'

The name 'roodee' came from the fact that there was a cross or in Anglo-Saxon a 'rood' in the middle of the racecourse. This was taken down in the middle ages. The base of the cross was removed but then reinstated. It can be seen today as a sandstone square base and part of the shaft. The second part of the name refers to the 'eye' or island. Because a long time ago the land was recovered from mud banks on the edge of the river Dee.
Location

The Roodee is located at the end of Watergate Street to the South-West on the City Walls.
History
'On St Georges Day 1539 In the time of Henry Gee, Mayor of the King's city of Chester, in the XXXI year of King Henry Eighth, a bell of silver, to the value of 111s 1111d, is ordained to be the reward of that horse which shall run before all others" - The Roodee 450 years of racing in Chester by R.M. Bevan.
Organised racing on the Roodee at Chester began in 1540. The races were held on shove Tuesday until 1609, when the date was changed to St George's Day (23 April). The prize was a bell of silver made by the Chester Goldsmiths Company. At first the winner had to return the prize after a year. But in the early 17th Century the winner was allowed to keep it.
In 1623 the silver bell was replaced by a silver cup worth �8. The corporation and the guilds supported the races in the 17th and 18th Centuries.
From 1744 the head of the Grosvenor family annually gave a gold tumbler cup worth �50 as a prize at the May races. These cups became smaller as the price of gold rose. From 1801 - 1830 when the Grosvenor family stopped giving prizes, silver and gold trophies took their place.
The below cup is on display in the Ridgway Silver Gallery in the Grosvenor Museum.

Quick Facts
"The Roodee was deemed part of Holy Trinity Parish, but it could not be tithed because it was land recovered from the sea.".
"Roman burials have been discovered so have two silver Roman denarii"
"A Roman tomb was discovered in 1874 thought to date from 90AD. It contained two skeletons one with a gold ring."
"In 1533 football was banned and from 1539 the Shoemakers provided six silver arrowheads as an award for a foot-race".
"In 1441 the rival gaolers from the Castle and the Northgate settled their differences with a fist fight on the Roodee".
"At the foot of the city wall by Nun's Road close to the Roodee, is some substantial masonry thought to have been part of the Roman quay wall. It is now thought to be footings for a Roman landing stage which reached across the river so that ships could dock at low tide.

The Roman Quay
In Roman times the river lapped against the City Walls. This is where the remains of a Roman Quay wall can still be seen. In 1886 a pig of Roman lead weighing 87 KG or 192 lbs was found deep below the surface of the Roodee. It is on display in the Grosvenor museum.

A reconstruction from the Grosvenor Museum of how the Quay would have looked in Roman times.

After Race Party
TBA
Decorative Fairs

www.decorativefairs.com
The very best fairs for vintage fashion, antique textiles and accessories

Antiques Fair

Chester Races Hotels

Express By Holiday Inn
Chester Racecourse

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Directions
Road
The M53, M56, M6 ,A483 are all in close proximity to Chester providing excellent links from Liverpool, Manchester, North Wales and the south of England. The Racecourse is signposted from all the major routes into Chester.
Rail
Chester Station is 20-30 minutes walk from the Racecourse through the picturesque Chester City Centre, or a just a short taxi ride.
Air
Call 01244 522 012 Hawarden Airport, Deeside for Helicopter / Light Aircraft landing facilities. Helicopters are allowed to land on the racecourse by prior consent with the Racecourse.
Polo

THE COUTTS INTERNATIONAL
Chester Racecourse Polo Club is now firmly established on the British polo circuit and socially as one of the premier events in the Northwest. The Coutts International Polo Weekend, now in its fifth year, has become the polo club's flagship tournament, with teams competing to win �10,000 in prize money.
Unusually for such a high-profile sport, prize money is rare, so the prize pot certainly attracts some of the best players in the world, with two past and present Captains of the England team and many international players doing battle on the field.
We welcome you to come and experience the glitz and glamour of polo on the picturesque Roodee. Enjoying either the hospitality in the exclusive Sponsors' and Players' Enclosure, or just come along and bring a picnic - both make for a memorable day.
General admission: �5, with children under 16 Free
Gates open at 12 pm
For further information, please contact
Melanie Simm
01244 304 615
msimm@chester-races.com
http://www.chester-races.co.uk/polo
Click here for more information

Show Jumping

The Charles Stanley British Masters International
Chester Race Course
http://www.chester-races.co.uk/show-jumping
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Badges for the stands

History Display

Conference and Events
www.conferenceandeventschester.co.uk
Art Deco Fairs

Enquiries 07809 236 607
www.decorativefairs.co.uk

www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000827825677&ref=ts

Chester Goes Pro #5 The Roodee Racecourse and Nuns Road / Wasp Attack

Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
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Public Transport
Chester Racecourse is five minute black cab taxi ride away from Chester Railway Station. The cost is about �5.
Chester Racecourse is about a five minute walk from Chester City Centre at the Cross via Watergate Street.
Internal Links
Penman Art & Antique Fairs
External Links

www.visitchester.com Horse Racing Page
www.penman-fairs.co.uk

This is the official YouTube channel for Chester Racecourse
http://www.youtube.com/user/chesterracecourse
www.chester-races.com

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