Highways and Byways in Cambridge and ElyConybeare, John William Edward
History
Highways and Byways in Cambridge and Ely
Conybeare, John William Edward
Cambridgeshire (England) -- Description and travel; Isle of Ely (England) -- Description and travel
cock-pit was encircled by stars and blue ribbons.... The Heath
was fringed by a wild, gipsy-like camp of vast extent. For the
hope of being able to feed on the leavings of many sumptuous
tables, and to pick up some of the guineas and crowns which the
spendthrifts of London were throwing about, attracted thousands
of peasants from a circle of many miles."
Nor were these beggars the only ones to profit by the festive
occasion. The townsfolk of Newmarket reaped a golden harvest; lodgings
for the press of visitors were at fancy prices, and many were glad to
pay a guinea a night for even the third of a bed; and "at Cambridge,"
we read, "a hackney-horse is not to be got for money."
When Newmarket became only one of many racing centres throughout the
land, this height of glory naturally departed. But to this day its
meetings rank in the very first class of such fixtures. And as a
training ground for race-horses it stands second to none. Training
stables rise all round it, and strings of young thorough-breds are
constantly to be met along the road, and are treated with reverence,
even by the drivers of motor-cars, who, for some distance on either
side of the town are not allowed to travel at any speed over ten miles
an hour. There are now seven principal annual racing fixtures here,
the chief being the "Craven," in the spring, and the "Two Thousand" in
the autumn.
The town of Newmarket is now wholly in Suffolk, although till a few
years ago it lay partly in Cambridgeshire, for it is built on either
side of the Icknield Street, which here formed the county boundary.
But the Old Market at Exning was always in Suffolk; a little island of
which may be seen on the map, surrounded by Cambridgeshire territory.
Here we have an interesting historical survival. Whence came about
this curious delimitation? The answer is that when Cambridgeshire was
first formed into a county by Edward the Elder it was not yet
forgotten that Exning had long been a special residence of Suffolk
royalty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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