History of the Jockey Club Rooms
Over almost 265 years later the Jockey Club Rooms remains at the centre of British horse-racing and is renowned throughout the worldwide thoroughbred industry. This is where it all began for the Sport of Kings and while its roots lie in the 18th century, its facilities most certainly reach into the 21st. The Jockey Club Rooms finds the perfect balance between maintaining tradition and embracing the future.
Located on the High Street in the centre of the town known as ‘HQ’, The Jockey Club Rooms have been at the heart of British racing for over 250 years. Founded in the middle of the eighteenth century the Jockey Club was originally a social club aiming to promote good fellowship among racing and thoroughbred breeding enthusiasts. Their main meeting place was the Star and Garter in Pall Mall although they also frequented other taverns of the time, in St James’s Street and Hyde Park. As the members included some of the most influential men of their day, over time The Jockey Club acquired authority and prestige, eventually evolving into the ruling body of British racing. In 1752 The Jockey Club leased a plot of land in Newmarket where a Coffee House was constructed as a meeting place for the Club’s members. On the expiration of the lease, The Jockey Club bought the freehold, which is known today as ‘The Jockey Club Rooms’.
Over the years the buildings have grown as the result of a series of additions to the original Coffee Room. In 1933 the front part of the premises was rebuilt to a design by Sir Albert Richardson. The Coffee Room was incorporated into this design, however soon after completion the back quarters were gutted by fire. The buildings were reconstructed, again to a design by Sir Albert, and the arrangement of rooms and attractive High Street frontage remain unchanged to this day.
The rooms have been refurbished to a very high standard and through our special relationship with the club, Highclere is able to host private stable visits for our owners when visiting their bloodstock in Newmarket. The tone is set in the as owners meet in the morning room for a glass of champagne before dinner, surrounded by some of the best equine art in the country. We are always joined for dinner by a leading trainer or two, allowing our owners to get to know them personally. A delicious dinner is always full of racing banter before guests retire to their extremely comfortable bedrooms.
While it’s often an early start to see the horses out on the gallops, watching thoroughbreds being put through their paces as the sun rises is one of the truly most enjoyable aspects of being an owner. There is also the opportunity to get behind the scenes when visiting a selection of yards in the home of racing. A full English breakfast awaits back at the rooms which is just reward after an early start. Owners can then relax or take a trip down to the horse racing museum, a short walk form the rooms, before heading home.
A stay at the rooms is always a special experience and one which our owners particularly enjoy. The surroundings are unique and there could not be a better way of seeing your horse. We organise a number of visits starting in March through to September and they are always extremely popular.