Where, and what, is Warren Hill?

Not to be confused with Her Majesty’s Prison Warren Hill, near the village of Hollesley, Suffolk, or the recreational green space of the same name within the South Downs National Park, Warren Hill is, of course, one of the most famous and popular public gallops in the historic headquarters of horse racing, Newmarket.

Newmarket is home to approximately 3,000 racehorses, or roughly one for every six of the 18,000 human inhabitants, so it should come as no surprise that Warren Hill is utilised six hours a day, six days a week and caters for approximately 16,000 horses per month. Unsurprisingly, the training grounds are closed to pedestrians until early afternoon each day, with the bulk of the activity taking place between early morning and noon. For spectators, parking is available at the top of Warren Hill – the highest point in the area, overlooking the racecourses and town – and the Warren Hill canters, which rise over 130 feet or so in the last quarter of a mile, attract a constant stream of valuable horses from leading stables.