Southwell Racecourse offers a unique blend of charm, excitement and comfort as they cater for race fans on both their all-weather and turf tracks, making it one of the premier sporting venues in the East Midlands.
Here we have put together the ultimate Southwell racecourse guide packed with everything you need to know about this racing venue in the heart of England.
Southwell Racecourse is located in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, just outside the town of Southwell. It lies roughly 15 miles northeast of Nottingham and is easily accessible by road and rail.
The nearest train station is Rolleston, which is just a short walk from the racecourse. Trains to Rolleston typically run from Nottingham, Newark North Gate or Lincoln, often with a change at Newark Castle.
Rolleston Station is conveniently situated less than half a mile from the racecourse, making it a manageable 10-minute walk for racegoers.
Bus services to Southwell from Nottingham and Newark are available via local providers such as Nottingham City Transport and Stagecoach.
Southwell is best known for being one of only a few UK courses to offer All-Weather racing on a Tapeta surface, having switched from Fibresand back in 2021.
It also hosts National Hunt (jumps) racing throughout the year.
The all-weather track is left-handed and oval in shape, while the jumps track is a tight circuit with a relatively short run-in.
Southwell Racecourse offers a range of enclosures and facilities for racegoers, including:
A competitive and well-supported event in the jumps calendar, usually staged in the spring.
A regular fixture of evening racing on the all-weather surface, this series offers plenty of opportunity for lower-grade horses during the winter months.
A popular annual event combining fashion and racing, typically held in the summer with a competitive flat card.
Southwell has hosted racing since 1898, making it one of the more established tracks in the UK outside of the major festival circuits.
In 1989, Southwell became one of the first racecourses in Britain to introduce all-weather racing, originally using Fibresand.
Southwell upgraded to the modern Tapeta surface in 2021, joining the likes of Wolverhampton and Newcastle in offering this more horse-friendly option.
Southwell was temporarily closed in 2012 following significant flooding in the East Midlands, but it has since recovered and undergone several infrastructure improvements.