Hotels near Chester Racecourse
Chester Racecourse, the oldest racecourse in Britain, is still revealing more of its history as archaeologists, sponsored by the Race Company, unearths more evidence of times past.
In Roman times, the racecourse lay underneath water as a tidal pool of the River Dee. Part of a sandstone Roman quay wall survives below the medieval city walls and wooden jetties and wharves on the site would have seen trading ships from across the Roman Empire bringing cargoes of wine, spices and pottery to Chester.
Chester was a major maritime port in the medieval period, and in the 13th century, Water Gate served as the main harbour. However, increased silting, combined with a falling sea level, led to the creation of the racecourse on land known as the Roodee - the name derived from 'rood' (the Saxon word for cross) and 'eye' (the Norman word for island). Roodee therefore means 'island of the cross' - part of a sandstone cross stands within the racecourse.
The racecourse has been the venue for many exciting events - in 1441, rival gaolers from the Castle and Northgate gathered here for a mass fist fight and horse racing was introduced to replace the Goteddsday (Shrove Tuesday) football match, which was banned in 1533 for being too violent.
The football matches were often held between neighbouring towns, different guilds, or to settle disputes. Unlimited numbers of players on each side battled to get possession of a leather ball. The racecourse was the perfect site for such large-scale encounters!
7 hotels
Chester Racecourse Hotels
HOTELS
Location: Chester
Distance: 6.19 miles
Rating: 4*
Prices From: £62.00
Location: Nr Chester
Distance: 6.87 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £60.00
Location: Chester
Distance: 6.88 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £69.00
Location: Chester
Distance: 7.16 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £82.95
Location: Chester
Distance: 7.63 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £51.00
Location: Cheshire
Distance: 8.01 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £70.00
Location: Bromborough
Distance: 9.88 miles
Rating: 4*
Prices From: £70.00
Locations near Chester Racecourse
Attractions near Chester Racecourse
Events near Chester Racecourse
If you want to add your hotel to our free south wales hotel listing - simply fill out the form on the following page - Add Your Hotel and a member of staff from the South Wales Hotels team will get back to you.