Home of horseracing worldwide, visited by James I in about 1607. At times it was the most important place outside of London for the Royal Court. A historic staging post for the stage coaches that travelled between London and Norwich/Ipswich/Kings Lynn, with up to 50 coaches a day passing through the town. Due to its racing heritage, it has a very cosmopolitan atmosphere with night clubs, bars, pubs, eateries and entertainment to suit all budgets.
This is a very nice walk through 3 local villages. Its about 6.5 miles long and should take about 1 1/2 hours to do.
I like this walk because you can let the dogs off and walk around and there are a few great views. If you time it right you might see the new lambs out. Also it is a circular walk so you end where you start. It is a nice place to change your scenery if you are bored of your walking route. The dogs will be grateful and out of energy like ours are after every time we do this walk.
Angelesey Abbey is a lovely property to visit. Very local to the Burwell, Cambridge and Newmarket area.
The house was a priory but after the dissolution enforced by Henry VIII, it became a country home.
It holds a lot of events especially for children. Its a great place for a day out and a picnic but dogs are not allowed.
Enjoy!
Devils Dyke
Devils Dyke is a great walk 7.5 or 15 mile walk to do in the summer. There are several variations that you can do based on the distance where you want to go. Here is a good map to see what I mean. Here is a short distance walk from the Guardian.
There are a few variations of the Devil's Dyke walk.
You can do a 5.5 mile walk. The walk starts at Reach and walk down to Swaffham and back.
You can do the 15 mile walk (Reach to Woodditton and back). This one goes through the Newmarket Racecourse.
Devil’s Dyke goes from Reach through Newmarket Racecourse to Wooditton. Devils Dyke is very important as it is one of the best examples of Anglo-Saxons earthwork. It dates back to the late 6th or early 7th century.
You can start at either the lovely village Reach which has annual fair. they also have a great pub which would make an excellent reward for the completion of this walk.
Jane, Michele and I did in part for our training for the Great Barrow Walk 2010 and it was quite nice. It was really sunny and dry so I got a bit sunburned. It only took us about 2 ½ hours to walk from Reach to Wooditton and back. I really like the views from the top of the dyke of the local area and a different view of the racecourse. We didn’t bring our dogs with us but you could if you wanted to. There is plenty of space to run around but you will go over the A14 so be careful.
It is a great walk for a Saturday with varying gradients, I would recommend walking shoes (I think Michele would too) and a few snacks, but its worth it!
Here is a link for a podcast that will tell you about Devil's Dyke and the surrounding area.
Kirtling Tower
I used to go to the Catholic church in Kirtling before I moved to Cambridge. Right next to the church is a beautiful property known as Kirtling Tower is owned by Lord and Lady Fairhaven. They open their property up for visits to raise money for charity. If you get a chance I would suggest that you visit it.
Kirtling Tower is a Tudor building which dates back to 1556. It has a moat on 3 sides. They usually have the local church open for teas and coffees and is a very nice day out.
Moulton Packhorse Bridge
Moulton Packhorse Bridge is a free historic sight that you can see and is in the village of Moulton outside of Newmarket. It is a four arched medieval bridge. It is built with flint and stone rubble.
Newmarket Joggers is a friendly club for runners of all levels and abilities. You can join to improve your running, run as a group or belong a club that competes in local, regional and national competitions… Everyone is welcome.
The group meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6.20pm in the foyer of Newmarket Leisure Centre and the run/jog last approx 30 minutes and caters for all abilities. They offer encouragement and advice as well as a starting point for anyone wanting to take up running/jogging as part of their fitness regime.
If interested please come along to the leisure centre on a Tuesday or Thursday at 6.30pm.or contact Sarah for further details on 07722 145 311 or email Sarah Mampuys
If Newmarket is too far for you, you can also contact these organisations:
If you are looking for another sort of activity, I do keep up with these things so you can email me at [email protected] and I can point you in the right direction or someone who will know.
Newmarket Heath Race 6k- First Thursday of May at 7:30pm
Nomads King Theatre
I like to go to Kings Theatre in Newmarket with Jane sometimes. They have plays acted out either by their own drama group (always looking for new members!) and sometimes bring in outside agencies (usually booked through the Theatre Royal website in Bury St Edmunds) too. The nice thing about this theatre is that it was walking distance for Jon and I and it was a very intimate setting as it is a theatre converted from a school.
Palace House
The Palace House is located in Newmarket and was King Charles II's residence. He has been attributed into making Newmarket the horseracing capital of England. It was completed for 1671 and has the oldest surviving example of a counter-balanced sash window. It is currently the tourist information centre for Newmarket. Down the street (near the enclosed passage) was the house of Nell Gywn, his long time mistress.
Thai Spa
Newmarket Thai Spa is upstairs from the Khobhurn Thai Restaurant which I can highly recommend as well. My friend Melissa and I went there and really enjoyed ourselves.