Carlisle

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Directions to stable yard

Stables: ATM (Carlisle Racecourse), Durdar Rd, Carlisle CA2 4TS

Carlisle Racecourse has one of the longest continuous racing traditions in Britain, with the earliest recorded meeting taking place in 1559 at The Swifts near the centre of Carlisle, where Lady Dacre's Gold Bell was first presented — a prize that still survives and remains associated with the modern Carlisle Bell race. Racing continued at The Swifts for more than three centuries until the course moved to its present site at Blackwell in 1904, establishing the layout that still defines it today.

The modern track is a right‑handed oval of about one mile and five furlongs, undulating throughout and rising steadily in the final half‑mile, a finish that exposes any lack of stamina and gives Carlisle its reputation as a testing northern course. It stages flat racing through the summer and National Hunt racing through the winter, making it the northernmost dual‑purpose track in Britain. The going can become very heavy in winter, adding to the challenge.

Carlisle has played a notable role in racing history. On 2 July 1929 it became the first British racecourse to host pool betting when the newly formed Tote operated there for the first time. Its signature race, the Carlisle Bell, is one of the oldest races still run, held each June over seven furlongs and 173 yards, with the original bells now kept in the Carlisle Guildhall Museum. The course also stages the Cumberland Plate on the same day, forming a historic northern racing double.

Today Carlisle serves a wide catchment across Cumbria, southwest Scotland, and the northern counties of England, helped by its proximity to the M6 and the West Coast Main Line. It remains a course defined by history, geography, and a demanding layout that rewards stamina, balance, and prominent racing.

Carlisle Racecourse
Durdar Road
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA2 4TS