Oldest in the World

Attracting spectators since 1539, during the reign of King Henry VIII, the racecourse at Chester is the oldest one still in operation in the world, holding around 15 races each year.

It is sometimes known by its nickname, the ‘Roodee’, named after a small cross (rood) which sits atop a small mound within the racecourse. This mound is considered to be the burial site of a statue of the Virgin Mary. Local legend has it, that in 946 AD the statue fell on top of a local governor’s wife and killed her. The statue could not be destroyed on account of being a holy item, so was instead put to trial and found guilty by a jury before being sentenced to burial at the banks of the River Dee where the racecourse stands today.