Cartmel Races

Insider’s Guide to Cartmel Races

Dogs are allowed at the racecourse, obviously on leads only.

Cartmel Racecourse and Cartmel Races are loved by regular racegoers, holidaymakers visiting the Lake District, day trippers from around the north of England and even us locals 😉

The original ‘steeplechase’ course is the only racecourse in Britain located within a village and this provides a fabulous event for everyone with a funfair, country stalls and a great Lake District atmosphere.

Most visitors to Cartmel Races believe that Cartmel is the most unusual and unique race course in the UK. As well as the special atmosphere and the village setting with the backdrop of the Lakeland fells, the race meetings have also been home to several historic and exceptional events – see ‘Did you know’ below.

Although Cartmel Racecourse is one of the more ‘intimate’ National Hunt racecourses, it actually has the 3rd highest average attendance of any race meeting in the UK, after Ascot and Aintree. Yet, despite this, Cartmel is still one of the smallest race courses in Britain.

So what makes a race day at Cartmel so popular? Maybe it’s the friendly and accessible site located right in one of the countries most stunning villages.

Maybe it’s because it’s only a 2 minute walk from the centre of Cartmel village Square to the racecourse.

Maybe also it’s the unique makeup of the track, a challenging racecourse for the horses and jockeys with its unique, left-handed oval track and sharp turns. The undulating terrain of the course is around 1 mile (1.6 km) round, with 6 National Hunt fences, and a four-furlong (804 metre) run-in – the longest in the country!!

Or maybe Cartmel Races are so special because you can combine days out at Cartmel Races as part of a holiday in the Lake District or even Cartmel village itself – see our Cartmel village holiday cottages here

The steeplechase racecourse has at least 6 fences which include an open ditch and a water jump. The number of fences can vary from year to year.

These features present a distinct challenge, testing the skill, experience and mentality of both horses and jockeys,

The long final straight of the ‘run in’ (photo below), bisects the paddock, meaning that the race to the finish line is surrounded by spectators on both sides of the ‘run in’ as the race reaches its climax.

The crowds roar as the jockeys and horses round the corner onto the ‘run in’. Those last 804 meters are initially uphill, then downhill, then uphill again to the finishing line.

All these elements add up to an extremely exhilarating and dramatic race.

Cartmel Races isn’t just known for its horse racing, it’s also the festival atmosphere, the fair ground, the local attractions, concerts and events that attract so many people that never go to horse racing elsewhere. Oh, did I mention 6 great pubs in a tiny village? Four of which are in Cartmel Square where you can stand and watch the horse boxes arrive as the atmosphere builds.

Cartmel Village is a medieval gem and is one of the most beautiful villages in the Lake District, Cumbria. It’s a destination in its own right and is world famous as a foodie paradise of restaurants and food shops. You can read more about Cartmel and the amazing food offerings here

Cartmel race meetings are well-known as relaxed affairs despite the somewhat intense races. Some people like to “dress up” for the races, some don’t, some people prefer traditional and local attire of tweed and sturdy footwear but most importantly, it doesn’t matter what you wear, everyone’s there to have a good time, mingle and hope that they’re going to be 1 of the loudly cheering people holding a winning betting slip.

DOGS, KIDS & BBQ’s

People travel from near and far for this great social gathering and the atmosphere that provides a great fun day out for everyone.

Everyone is welcome at Cartmel Races and you can bring your dog too. Kids love the funfair and the atmosphere and you’re welcome to bring your own BBQ & alcohol. You can also hire a gazebo or a larger ‘Party Tent’ – see Cartmel Racecourse website here

FOOD & DRINK

As well as being welcome to bring your own food, drinks, hampers and cool boxes, there’s plenty of onsite catering available too. These range from posh pop up’s, Champagne bars and local catering vans.

Most of the pubs in Cartmel Village serve food before the races but if you want to eat after the races, you’ll definitely need to book well ahead.

The Kings Arms in Cartmel Square is very popular with its tables and chairs outside on the cobbles of the Square. Diagonally opposite, the Royal Oak also has a few tables and chairs on the cobbles at the front but usually have a BBQ bar and large marque at the rear of the pub in their large riverside garden.  Sounds lovely doesn’t it? It is!

One of my favourite places in Cartmel is Unsworth’s Yard which has a good sized, outdoor area and their own microbrewery. The yard is mostly covered to make it an all-weather area and on race days they have music and handmade pizza, before and after the races. David Unsworth’s newest creation, Oscars serves bistro style, ‘small plates’ food until about 8.30pm. I recommend booking via their app – ‘Oscars Cartmel’.

Underneath the medieval arch just off Cartmel Square is the Cavendish Arms with another riverside garden.

On the outskirts of the village is the Pig & Whistle pub that also has another lovely large beer garden overlooking the fields and Cartmel Priory.

To top it off, the races and the village are set against the backdrop of the stunning Lake District fells and mountains.

FREE PARKING

Racegoers can pre-book to park inside the racecourse but my advice is to use the free parking at either end of the racecourse.

As we obviously encourage everyone to stay safe and not drink and drive, Cartmel Racecourse welcome you to leave your car overnight in any of their car parks until noon the following day. How civilised is that!?!

DID YOU KNOW

Cartmel Racecourse is owned by Lord Cavendish from nearby stately home, Holker Hall, just outside the village of Cark in Cartmel.

Each winning jockey receives a world-famous Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding to mark their victory.

There have been several ‘serial winners’ at Cartmel Races. In 2004, ‘Deep Mystery’ became the first horse to win 7 races at Cartmel. Incredibly, this was then equalled by ‘ Soul Magic’ in 2013.

Astonishingly, ‘Tonto’s Spirit’ went one better in 2022. He won 8 races and made himself the first eight-time winner. Owner Arthur Slack had bought the horse for a mere £700 as a three-year-old. Trainer Dianne Sayer carefully shepherded him towards greatness and his first win at Cartmel was won at 33-1. Needless to say, he never ran at those odds again!

Monks on mules probably started the racing tradition at Cartmel, way back in the twelfth century but the annual Whit Monday race meeting only started in 1856. A year later the railway came to Cark-in-Cartmel, which dramatically increased the visitor numbers. Originally a flat race, the move to jumps happened in the late 1900s, reflecting the hunting and farming roots of our local community.

CARTMEL HOLIDAY COTTAGES

(With private, off-road parking)

Cartmel’s best holiday cottage is Weavers Cottage, a gorgeous 4 bedroom cottage that sleeps up to 8 people. The cottage is located on the edge of the village just 8 minutes short walk to the racecourse.

Cartmel’s best holiday house is Cartmel Hill, a stunning 5 bedroom house that sleeps up to 10 people. Cartmel Hill is located on one of the hills just up the lane from the racecourse and has amazing views across Morecambe Bay. The house is a short walk to the racecourse or you can leave your car at the racecourse and walk back to the house.

You can see both of our Cartmel holiday cottages here