Stand by the rail at the top of Hexham Racecourse and the reason for its old motto is plain. The ground falls away in every direction into a natural amphitheatre of fields, woods and hedges, with the Tyne valley below and the hills of Hexhamshire beyond. Legend has it that King James, riding south to take the English crown, looked out over this country and declared it the heart of all England. Whether he said it or not, the phrase stuck, and it has been the name of the course's oldest race for well over a century.
October fixtures
- Friday 2 October: the Autumn Raceday
- Saturday 10 October: the Newcastle Rugby Foundation Raceday
- Tuesday 20 October: the Sky Sports Racing Raceday
All three are jumps meetings, part of the early weeks of the National Hunt season in the North.
From Tyne Green to the High Yarridge
Hexham's racing began around 1721, not on the hill but on Tyne Green, the riverside meadows below the town. A meeting on 3 May 1738 is documented in the records. Early in the 19th century the sport moved up to the Yarridge, but it struggled, and in 1880 it closed altogether, unable to compete with the popular races at Wark further up the North Tyne.
The revival was the work of one man. Charles William Chipchase Henderson brought racing back to the Yarridge, and the first meeting of the new era was held on 23 April 1890. He put considerable money into the course, bought the land outright in 1907, and planted the copper beech hedges that still serve as the wings of the fences today. In the same year he established the Heart of All England, now a maiden hunters' chase over three miles and a furlong. Henderson died in December 1914 and his son Stephen carried the course on.
Continuity has been a feature of Hexham ever since. Kit Patterson managed the course from 1946 to 1990, and Charles Enderby from 1990 to 2016. Since 2016 the course has been owned by Hexham and Northern Marts, the livestock auctioneers, which gives it deep roots in the farming community that has always supplied much of its crowd.
Small though it is, Hexham has launched some big careers. Two of the best-loved jumpers of the 1990s, One Man and Red Marauder, made their hurdling debuts here. One Man went on to win two King George VI Chases and the Queen Mother Champion Chase; Red Marauder won the Grand National in 2001. Recent years have brought fresh attention: Queen Camilla opened a new stand in 2025, and the same year the course returned to terrestrial television for the first time in decades, with coverage on ITV.
For the seasoned racegoer
Hexham is a left-handed track of about a mile and a half round, undulating throughout, with ten fences to a circuit. The fences themselves are not regarded as especially difficult. The defining feature is the long, steep climb from the end of the back straight all the way to the winning post. It regularly catches out horses that look to be travelling well in front with half a mile to run, and it rewards stamina and a horse that keeps galloping up a hill. Hurdle races here are usually run at a steady pace, which can turn them into a sprint up the final rise.
The October fixtures tend to attract northern stables starting their horses off for the season, so look for fitness: a horse that has had a run already, or one from a yard known to have its string forward early, can hold an edge on a course this testing. The going on the hill can vary from one part of the track to another after rain, so watch the first race closely.
For a first visit
Hexham is one of the friendliest small courses in the country, and a good place to learn how a raceday works. Before each race the horses are led around the parade ring. Take a few minutes there: a horse that looks relaxed, walks well and carries itself with some swagger is usually in better shape than one that is fretting. When the jockeys mount and the horses head out, find a spot where you can see the climb to the line, because that is where most races at Hexham are decided.
A racecard, on sale at the course, lists the runners, their trainers and the colours each jockey will wear, which makes it easy to follow a horse from the ring to the finish.
There is no formal dress code. It is a rural course on a hill in autumn, so dress warmly, wear sturdy shoes and bring waterproofs. Families are a familiar sight, and the open banks give children room.
For a bet, you can use the Tote, where all stakes go into a pool shared among the winners, or one of the on-course bookmakers, who offer a fixed price when you bet. An each-way bet is two bets of equal size, one to win and one to be placed, so it doubles the outlay. Decide what you are happy to spend before you arrive, and stop when it is gone.
Making a day of it in Hexham
The racecourse sits about two miles south of the town centre on the High Yarridge, and the postcode for satnav is NE46 2JP. Hexham station is on the Tyne Valley line between Newcastle and Carlisle, with a short taxi ride up to the course; check the course website for any raceday transport.
Hexham itself is an easy town to explore on foot. Hexham Abbey, founded by St Wilfrid in the seventh century, dominates the Market Place, and its Saxon crypt is one of the most remarkable survivals of its age in England. A few steps away on Hallgate is the Old Gaol, completed in 1332 for the Archbishop of York and one of the oldest purpose-built prisons in England. It closed as a gaol in 1820 and is now a museum of border history. The Sele, the open parkland behind the Abbey, is a pleasant place to walk, and Tyne Green, where Hexham's racing began three centuries ago, still runs along the river.
Hadrian's Wall is only a few miles to the north. Chesters Roman Fort, by the North Tyne at Chollerford, is the closest of the big Roman sites, and Housesteads, further west, sits dramatically on the crags. On a morning raceday, a visit to one of them before heading up to the Yarridge makes for a memorable Northumberland day.
Before you go
Check the Hexham Racecourse website for race times, ticket options and the going. An exposed hilltop course can be affected by heavy rain or high winds, so look for any inspection notice on the morning of racing.
