About Wincanton

Local huntsmen staged some of the first steeplechases at Wincanton on Easter Mondays more than 200 years ago. Two centuries later the course continues to stage some of the best racing in the South West. Wincanton features the hardest jumps of England’s smaller courses and plays a vital role in the National Hunt season, with many future champions showing early promise here. Highlights of the Wincanton calendar, which runs from October to May, include Connaught Cup Day in January, Kingwell Day in February and Badger Ales Chase Day in November.

Since 2001, Jockey Club Racecourses has invested £1.6 million in upgrading the racecourse facilities at Wincanton. A further £1.4 million will be invested over the next few years.

Facilities
Facilities include a golf course and caravan club site but racegoers will also find plenty here to help them enjoy the day. The Premier enclosure includes the Hatherleigh Stand, an indoor seated viewing gallery overlooking the course and winning post. It includes private boxes, a viewing gallery, a full bar facility, hot and cold snacks and a Tote betting facility. Those with a big appetite should reserve a table at the Kingwell restaurant, where they can enjoy splendid views of the parade ring with their meals. Every area at Wincanton has disabled facilities. Children under 16 can enjoy a day at Wincanton for free.

Locality
Set in the beautiful countryside of south Somerset, overlooking Blackmore Vale, the small town of Wincanton is the only place to be twinned with a fictional town (Ankh-Morpork, which features in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books). The beauty of the area is certainly very real though, and many visitors to the region use Wincanton as a base for cycling and walking holidays. City lovers should check out nearby Bristol and Bath, which both have direct road and rail links to London.