Newmarket’s £14m (US$17.1m, €15.7m) National Horse Racing Museum has opened to the public more than 25 years on from its original inception.
Celebrating more than 350 years of sporting history, Mather & Co are behind the plans, which gained Heritage Lottery funding in 2012 worth £4.25m (US$5.1m, €4.7m), with funding also coming from Forest Heath (£1.3m), Suffolk County Council (£1m), the Wellcome Trust and a number of private individuals.
As part of the multi-million pound transformation, the historic Palace House now displays a collection of sporting artwork dating back as far as the 17th century, while the Kings Yard stables is home to exhibits telling the story behind racing. Rothschild Yard has also become the new home for charity organisation Retraining of Horses. The yard now features small displays and interactive hands-on exhibits about the charity, as well as a viewing area where visitors can observe the horses being trained on-site.
Central to the new gallery spaces is the architecturally significant spine wall, the original external wall from the Trainer’s House. Using a considered design approach, Mather have created an object and graphic display which sits in front of the wall, exploring the history of the jumps and flats whilst interpreting and showcasing the wall itself as an exhibit.
Overall, the new and improved Museum presents 12 galleries that showcase the internationally significant collection that has expanded significantly over the last 30 years.
“It’s been a complex project due to the historic setting and the listed status of some of the site buildings so we have taken a coordinated approach with the conservation architects and English Heritage to deliver an outstanding visitor attraction that’s sympathetic to its heritage,” said Mather CEO Chris Mather.
“In the early days of the project we helped secure HLF funds – a process we are familiar with thanks to the nature of our work with many heritage sites in the UK. That funding has provided the museum with an attraction that houses more than 8,000 objects including paintings, paper manuscripts, racing kit, equipment and natural history – all of which have been set in beautiful object displays for visitors to enjoy.”
The Queen will officially launch the centre during a visit on 3 November. Her Majesty also opened the original centre when it opened in 1983.
