THIS west Dorset town boasted its own racecourse in the latter part of the 19th century!
Beaminster had its own racecourse on Beaminster Downs, by kind permission of the Lord of the Manor, it was also known as the West Dorset racecourse.
It began hosting races on Tuesday 24th September 1867 with a six race card. The course had a deep valley on the opposite side to the grandstand and welcomed a crowd of over 4000 to the first meeting.
Although flat and hurdle racing was on the card in 1867, National Hunt steeplechases first started in 1868. The meetings lasted for 3 years before a final card was held on Wednesday 7th September 1870.
These old images of Beaminster were taken a few decades later by Claud Hider, a Bridport photographer who was working in the area from 1922 onwards, and sadly don't feature the racecourse.
If any Bridport News readers do have any images of the West Dorset racecourse, we'd love to see them. Get in touch here.
These Hider pictures show the beauty of the market town of Beaminster. It is a large parish in the west of the county and starting in the north east and going clockwise it is adjacent to Corscombe, North Poorton, Netherbury, Stoke Abbot, Broadwinsor, South Perrot and Cheddington.
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The town suffered from a disastrous fire in 1644 and smaller fires in 1684 and 1781. In 1849 Beaminster was separated from the mother parish of Netherbury.
The church of the Virgin Mary is noted for its memorials and fine architectural features. There are chapels for Wesleyans and Congregationalists.
Petty sessions used to be held in the police station on alternate Mondays. A market used to be held every Thursday for meat and provisions.
The market house and other buildings were pulled down in 1886 leaving the market place clear. The workhouse for Beaminster Union, comprising 26 parishes, was one mile from the town in the parish of Stoke Abbot, it held 230 inmates.
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The Beaminster & Netherbury school was originally founded in 1684, there was a National School built in 1870. The population in 1891 was 1915 persons. The hamlets of Langdon, Newton and Buckham are in the parish.
With thanks to Neil Mattingly for sharing the Hider pictures and to the Dorset OPC website for the information.
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