Swift Horses

If it looks like a grandstand, then it probably is. But does anyone ever look up. I didn't - at first.

This is an old pub standing on its own, close to the centre of Carlisle and the river. It was near here last week that Marpaul and I found the Floodwall Plaque that I have pasted on to the image. When we found it, we were a bit mystified. Carlisle has a racecourse, but it is nowhere near here, it's over the other side of town. So why put a racing plaque here and why call it Swift Horses? A clue was in the name of the pub - The Turf. Another clue would have been the roof of the building, but we didn't look up at that point. Later Marpaul was told that there had once been a racecourse here.

So, being me and liking a challenge, I looked into it. And sure enough there was a racecourse here from the 1550s, and possibly earlier that that. It was called The Swifts. The site was popular due to its proximity to the centre of Carlisle. Fairs, horse races and wrestling were regular events at the Swifts from the mid eighteenth century. In 1840 a grandstand was built and racegoers sat on tiered seating overlooking the course. Railings were placed on the sloping roof to prevent members of the public falling off. The stand is now a public house called the Turf Inn. The roof is still tiered and still has the railings all round it.

However, the course being by the river caused problems. Jockeys struggled to control horses on the sharp curves of the course that followed the river. There was the further issue that the course could not be adequately fenced and many people got to watch the racing free of charge. And, being next to the river meant flooding swamped the course on many occasions. So we are back full circle really - to flooding.

The problems at the Swifts led to the Duke of Devonshire's refusal to renew the site's lease in 1904. In this year another site was founded south of the city at Blackwell. This course is used today. I wonder how many people eating at the Swifts Restaurant at the racecourse know where the name came from!


Obviously this is the back of the what would have been the grandstand. I took the picture this way because I think it is quite an imposing building from this side. Taking photographs from the front of the 'Grandstand' is difficult and not nearly as impressive. I have put one though here so you can imagine what the grandstand would have been like with all the people in it.