Over the years, Shaftesbury Park has hosted cricket matches, model yachting, a rifle range, bowling, circuses and even Buffalo Bill in 1903.
Prior to it becoming a park in 1900 it was known as the Marshes due to being frequently waterlogged from flooding from the River Usk. It was purchased by Newport Corporation in 1855 but prior to that the Marshes Estate held a number of horses races called the Newport Races. These popular races featured a number of fixtures of two days of racing and each day was ended with a ball at either the Kings Head or Westgate hotels.
Newspaper records mention the races as far back as 1826 and between 1838 and 1854 were held fairly regularly, sometimes on an annual basis.
The weather and poor conditions due to frequent flooding likely played a factor in whether the races were held and certainly had an effect on how enjoyable they were. ok occasions when the the weather was poor, but the races and post-race balls we’re poorly attended but when the sun was shining wealthier families would travel by carriage from neighbouring counties and beyond.
The Location
Plot 117 in the 1841 tithe map of St Woollos in the County of Monmouth is the location of the present day Shaftesbury Park and where the Newport Races would have been held. The Landowners are recorded as ‘Freeman of the Borough of Newport’ with an occupier called George Masters. It is marked as pasture so unsure if the occupier had a property on any part of the land. George Masters is identified as being Clerk of the Races In the early 1840s.
The Races
1826 Newport Races
One of the earliest records found in the Welsh Newspapers archive is from The Cambrian in 1826 and mentions the course as being on the Marshes and running for one and half miles between the river Usk and the road leading to Pontypool. I presume that this isn’t a point-to-point race based on the area the Marshes covers. It mentions prizes of a ‘free plate of sovereigns’, a ‘silver tankard’ and a ‘saddle and bridle’. Booths would be present selling beer, wine and spirits and there would be ‘excellent accommodation for gentlemen’s carriages and vehicles of every description’.
1827 Newport Races
The 1827 race was met with unfavourable weather (something that will plague future races) but it was still ‘numerously attended’ and ‘the sport went off much better than the most sanguine friends of the turf could expect’.
Source: The Cambrian, Saturday September 23rd, 1827
1828 Newport Races
The 1828 races took place a bit earlier in August which helped with the conditions.
The abundance of vehicles, horsemen, pedestrians, &c. together with the rich display of beauty and fashion, was truly gratifying to the lovers of the turf; and although the course was heavy in some parts, the sport on the whole was good.
Source: The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser, 15th August, 1828
1829 Newport Races
In the Monmouthshire Merlin of 10th October, 1829 is a passing mention as to when the next race will take place.
A week later on 17th October, 1829, The Cambrian reported that the race was cancelled due to repeated flooding from high tides.
For whatever reason — perhaps the constant flooding — the races took a break for the next nine years returning again in 1838.
1838 Newport Races
In September 1838, after a lapse of nine years, the Newport Races were started again.
In the race for mercantile success, Newport has distanced many respectable rivals, and his run neck and neck with some celebrated opponents; but now on the turf, as well as in the commercial contest, she has taken up a respectable station.
The Marshes were continuing to live up to their name but there was a small window of opportunity where the conditions were deemed suitable enough to hold the races.
A commanding grandstand was erected, the whole course was well rolled, several decent booths furnished ample refreshments; and with great propriety, black-leg bipeds [cheating gamblers] were not allowed to ply their nefarious trade in plundering the unwary. There was a numerous attendance on both days, the weather being most inviting; and it was gratifying to behold the large number of respectable farmers, and their fair families, showing their happy faces on the course.
The races were spread over two days with the first day hosting The Monmouthshire Stakes, The Pillgwenlly Stakes, The Farmers’ Stakes and The Hurdle Race and the second day hosting The Newport Stakes, The Hunters’ Stakes and Hurdle Race, The Hack Stakes, a Forced Handicap and a Pony Race.
First Day — Thursday
Second Day — Friday
After each race events were held with one on Thursday held at the King’s Head where Thomas J Phillips, Esq., presided and one held on Friday at the Westgate Hotel where R.J. Blewitt, Esq., MP presided.
On each day, the dinner and wines were excelled, and the entertainment and attendance did much credit to the hosts of the two hotels.
Source: Monmouthshire , 22nd September, 1838
1839 Newport Races
The weather was more favourable for the races when they returned the following year in August, 1839.
The attendance of fashionables was large indeed, the course, for a considerable distance on each side of the steward’s box, being lined with the elegant equipages of the gentry of the county. There was a numerous field of horsemen, while the muster of pedestrians showed that the interest created by the sport was fully participated by event the humblest classes.
Present at the races were the likes of Lady Monson and party in the carriage of the Lord Lieutenant of the County, Mr Bateman, High Sheriff and party from Bertholly and Mr Blewitt of Llantarnam Abbey.
First Day — Wednesday 21st August
Second Day — Thursday 22nd August
The event on Wednesday after the first day’s races, aka The Stewards’ Orginary, was held at King’s Head and the attendance was ‘most numerous and respectable’. Venison was in abundance and was supplied from Tredegar by the direction of Sir Charles Morgan.
The Race Ball took place on Thursday night at the King’s Head Hotel and ‘was admitted by all who had the pleasure of being present, to be the best entertainment that has taken place here, for years, if, indeed, it has ever been equalled in Newport.
The ball-room (which is not sufficiently capacious) was tastefully and elegantly decorated with flowers, natural and artificial, and the orchestra, headed by French Davi’s and Pollock, was very efficient. The high and very deserved popularity of the gentlemen who acted as stewards, brought their friends in considerable numbers to the festive scene; and, in addition to the day, we observed many of the rank and beauty from the surrounding districts, who arrived during the evening to meet the hon. member and his esteemed co-steward. Dancing, in rapid succession of variety, was kept up with great animation till long after Phoebus had shown the mild beams of his fresh morning face over Twm Barlwm.
Source: Monmouthshire Merlin, Saturday 24th August, 1839
1841 Newport Races
It appears that each year it’s never guaranteed that the races would go ahead or when in the year, which led to people writing to the newspaper such as the let from ‘A Small Contributor to the Last Races’ in the Monmouthshire Merlin.
The 1841 races took place in October but the unfavourable conditions and state of the course resulted in a small attendance and the ‘sport was very indifferent’.
In fact, some parts of the course were so swampy, that it was dangerous to the limbs of high mettled racers to attempt speed, and both horses and riders were completely bespattered.
The Marshes are unfit for a meeting at this advanced season of the year; and sportsmen must get the ground drained, and a sea-wall built, or they must look out for a fairer field.
Wednesday
Thursday
Compared to the successful post-race events of 1839, Thursday’s ‘ordinary’ event at the King’s Head Hotel was ‘thinly attended’ and there were very few present at the ‘ordinary’ at the Westgate Hotel on Friday.
The weather seemed to have kept the “gentlemen sportsmen” at home. We understand that a handsome subscription has been entered into for the ensuing year.
1843 Newport Races
September saw the Newport Races take place on the usually wet Marshes but that didn’t deter the crowds of “working classes and families, who, in these “iron times” rush so gladly to see anything like pleasure, for which they are not called on to pay.”
The race course has usually been a wet and unattractive one; and most righteously, according to the dates of races in the by-gone, has it deserved it title — the Marshes. But this year, the wet season was justly anticipated. Before the high tides, which generally covered the course, just previous to past races, had time to inundate it this season, the discernment of the committee of management had determined on realising their “bill of fare” and accordingly the Marshes were last Wednesday so Mackadamized — to use a far fetched term — that the strongest hoof, had it pick-axe powers, could do little more than make an impression.
The list of horses due to compete were “promising in the extreme” and those who attended were “but little disappointed”.
The newspaper also reported that a ’fleet of pickpockets’ had arrived the previous day on speculation from Bristol and were ‘detected industriously employed in their vocation’.
…three were seized with their hands in other people’s pockets, and, with two of their companions, arranged as vagrants, provided, by the courtesy of the Magistrates, with genteel apartments in the romantic town of Usk, where an excellent machine, called the tread-mill, will keep these gentry in healthful exercise.
The brethren of the roulette table were more successful: they emptied the pockets of many, who must have had empty heads to give them opportunity, and took from the town more money than did the owners of all the race horses.
Source: Monmouthshire Merlin, Saturday 9th September, 1843
A Complaint About The Clerk of the Races
In advance of the races, one Benjamin Francis wrote to the Monmouthshire Merlin to air a complaint about the Clerk of the Races about collecting winnings.
1844 Newport Races
The Newport Races took place in September but the Monmouthshire Merlin failed to publish any of the information in a timely fashion so published a shorter article a week after the event.
1846 Newport Races
After past years of questionable weather and poor ground conditions, the races in September were greatly improved.
The sportsmen of this neighbourhood, and those gentlemen who patronise the pleasurable and exciting scenes of a race-course, have had unquestionable cause of satisfaction at the appearance of the Newport race ground on Thursday, to which one of the finest autumnal days of many years past invited crowds of visitors; and it has been said by persons well acquainted with sporting movements, that although there might have been larger assemblages, never were there manifestations of greater pleasure, arising from animated honest racing, than upon the present occasion.
A sufficient number of police were employed for the race, ‘both as a detective and protective body’, to guard against robbery and to ‘keep the ground.
Not a single booth was allowed to afford facilities for beguiling the credulous of their cash, under the invitation of ‘roulette gentlemen’, or those of similar means, by thimble-rigging, and other ingenious devices.
First Day
As usual, an ’ordinary’ event was held at the King’s Head hotel and guests were entertained by Mr Jones, a celebrated vocalist visiting the neighbourhood.
Source: Monmouthshire Merlin, Saturday 5th September, 1846
Second Day
The good weather continued into the second day encouraging more people to attend.
…the streets of Newport were nearly deserted, whilst the arrivals from distant places flowed in from every quarter. We counted forty five carriages ranged along the course, and there were small vehicles of a miscellaneous character, and an array of equestrians.
Gay flags were borrowed from vessels in the port, in order to decorate those repositories of creature comforts, the booths, which were thickly planted on the ground.
Despite a good day of racing along with the good weather, the “grand stand” left a lot to be desired.
…we must reflect on the condition and arrangements of the “Grand Stand”, the seats of which were unsteady and unsafe; whilst first and second class ticket holders were so crushed together, that very many persons who had paid half-a-crown for admission, were glad to get safely down again. Amongst the many who had cause to complain, were a lady and gentleman from Chepstow, who, we were sorry to learn, experienced very rude treatment.
The dinner on the second day took place at the Westgate Hotel where about seventy gentlemen assembled. A ‘sumptuous’ meal was served along with rounds of ‘loyal, local and sporting toasts’ and music. The large room of the Council House was tastefully decorated for the occasion and the room wasn’t too crowded to ‘impede the mazy circles of the waltz, the polka, or extended sets of quadrilles, which were enjoyed with a spirit, the buoyancy of which seemed to increase as the morning advanced.
Supper, ‘abounding in delicacies’, was laid in the Commercial Reading Room of the Council House and afterwards the pleasure of the ball resumed and continued with animation till “from the portals of the east Aurora smiled in purity”.
Source: Monmouthshire Merlin, Saturday, 12th September, 1846
1847 Newport Races
Despite a Mr Jones accepting at the ball in 1846 to be race steward for the 1847 Newport Races, and ‘judicious preliminaries’ being made, there doesn’t appear to have been a race, at least not recorded in the Monmouthshire Merlin.
1848 Newport Races
In July 1848, the Monmouthshire Merlin reported the Newport Races were being ‘contemplated’. But don’t appear to have materialised.
We understand that it is in contemplation this year to start the races on an improved scale, under leading patronage, and with spirited supporters. There is, it appears, a good nest egg in the way of subscriptions, since the last races; and as it will be necessary to take immediate steps from the meeting this year, it is to be hoped that no delay will occur in getting forward with the usual preliminaries, that this year’s sport may be first rate.
1849 Newport Races
By 1849, Moses Scard (the local town scavenger) had become the new occupier of The Marshes and had advertised that the land was available to use for the races again.
In November 1849, the Monmouthshire Merlin reported that the Newport Races had taken place "in the public streets".
These races are appointed to take place on the first November, in the public streets. The grandstand will be fixed in the Town Hall. Several animals of first-rate blood, and others of doubtful pedigree, are entered for the occasion.
Any number of sportsmen may complete; the stakes to be divided amongst the three winners in each race. To start at nine o'clock precisely. The jockeys are to take what course they may think proper, (all turnings excepted), but the winning-post will be placed in the grand stand. The two races will be run at the same time, but not over the same ground; therefore only one start will be allowed, after which they must all get on as well as they can.
What's not clear from the article is where the start was and if it was in The Marshes based on Moses Scard offering the location just a few months earlier.
Based on there being an East Ward Stakes and a West Ward Stakes there may have been a start in each ward with a finish at the Town Hall.
After the races, there was an ‘ordinary’ at the Tripe Establishment, at six o’clock, a supper in the Station House at ten o’clock after which three balls were held at Mrs Nelsons. Genuine sherry cobbler was on offer from the stores of Messrs Whitchurch, Matthew’s, Horner and Company.
1852 Newport Races
After the 1849 race there appears to have been another pause of the event. The report of the 1852 races indicates there were reasons which led to a cessation of the annual meeting but “it is unnecessary now to dwell”.
Suffice it briefly to state, the lovers of the sport — and they are very numerous in this county — appear to have resolved this year, that the Newport races should be revived and re-established on the Marshes ground, which it is determined Shall be made more suitable next year, for the content of fleet horses, than heretofore.
As with each meet, there are always criminals loitering.
Connected with such meetings, however, which should be regarded chiefly as conducive to preserving and encouraging a fine breed of superior animals, we are sometimes obliged to notice the unfortunately too frequent accompaniment of the display of the power of the generous steeds, as evinced in A “fine race” — black-leg gambling, not only at the plundering table of rouge et noir or roulette, but also at the “little goes” of “thimble rig”, and fleecing frauds of its class.
On Wednesday, large numbers of “gentleman of pick-pocketing industry”, and a horde of fellows who live by plundering men of small wits, in betting transactions, paid Newport a visit to make, we suppose, preliminary inquiries. They were met, however, by the discouraging intelligence, that the stewards peremptorily forbad all gambling booths on the course; and they (or many of them) also received decided intimations from Supt. Huxtable (who is well acquainted with the “prigs” and other slippery characters of a neighbouring city). A formidable number of the fraternity had actually been followed from Birmingham As far as Gloucester, to ascertain their route; and on their being seen to take the South Wales train there, speedy information was transmitted to Mr Huxtable at our station here, who was accordingly, as above intimated, on the qui vive to mark their arrival, and to tell them it would have saved some money, to have taken a return ticket.
Criminals aside, the large spectators were drawn from the homes and shortly after 12 o’clock a ‘gay assemblage’ occupied the grand stand and other elevations and numerous carriages had arrived.
Indeed, some sanguine friends pronounced their opinion that no less than 6,000 persons were on the course at one time’ though we should imagine that half that number would be nearer the fact.
The Races
Source: Monmouthshire Merlin, 3rd September, 1854
1854 Newport Races
Pre-Race Day
It’s September and the drizzling rain and the Burgess land look ‘as swampy as a marsh of the Dobrudscha order’. The horses have been taken out to familiarise themselves with the course and the ‘jocks’ are “en mufti” and look dispirited but spin through the marshy mud is required.
The town wears anything but the appearance of coming gaiety. The rain increases, with a seeming determination not to stop pouring down for the day. The streets are as dirty as usual on such occasions; and the anticipations for the morrow, cause elongation of faces. The day advances, and the rain dwindles to a Scotch mist.
Moses Scard, who had been the occupier of the Marshes was still renting the land, and promoting the event by taking a horse through the town.
The “prince of whips”, who is clerk of the course for the coming meeting, trots along one of his well-trained wheelers, in a light-gig, occasionally mentioning, in a stage-whisper, right and left, that “there will be a capital field of horses on the turf tomorrow”.
Being a haven for criminals , the police were on duty keeping an eye out for “adroit conveyancers”.
And now, the men of the roulette rank — those wide-awakes, who live on their wits, by plying on those who have no wits at all — are to be seen here and there, sauntering with apparent apathy about, instead of following an honest occupation, and working for their cheese; while they eagerly scan the face of every stranger they meet, hoping there on to find an index to a flat. Young boys play truant from school, and run to the Marshes rails, to take a sight of the spot where showy booths and flaunting flags are beginning to raise their heads.
Thursday
The usual ‘ordinary’ took place at the King’s Head Hotel followed by a ball at the Town Hall.
Source: Monmouthshire Merlin, Saturday 22nd September, 1854
What Happened Next?
Records of the Newport Races stop after the 1854 race but with the Corporation taking over the Marshes in 1855 (for what appears to be to build a gas works), this is the likely reason for the races ceasing.
On 26th November 1887, the South Wales Daily News reported on the Tredegar Show week which culminated in the 'revival of the old Newport Races'. This would indicate that indeed the races stopped after the 1854 edition and restarted in 1887. This time the races were held on a course in Caerleon, not far from the amphitheatre.
The course was situated at Caerleon, whither in the early morning journeyed some thousands of spectators, many of whom hailed from sport-loving Cardiff. The races were under Grand National rules, and a stiffer bit of hunting country than that the horses entered had to traverse it would be difficult to find in the district.
The races continued to be held in Caerleon along with similar in Lliswerry but were never to return to the Marshes/Shaftesbury Park.
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