The National Heritage Centre at Palace House is the result of over ten years planning, building and fundraising to become the biggest new attraction to open in Suffolk in the last decade and is well worth a visit.
A wonderful lunch was served at the Tack Room which is a boutique onsite restaurant and serves traditional British food with a twist using the very best ingredients and produce sourced from the local area. My next stop was the impressive Juddmonte Farms which is one of the leading breeders in the world and the base for its European stallion operation.
This magnificent manor house is situated amongst 360 acres and has Japanese Ginkgo trees that line the entrance to the stallion unit and covering shed. A former moated site of medieval origin and impeccably manicured lawns finish the accommodation off beautifully. It was incredible to see the sublime horses such as Oasis Dream, Bated Breath, Kingman, Dansili, all impressive in their own right and led out by their handlers.
However, it was the chance to meet, greet and get close to the world-class Frankel which was a real highlight of the day. This legendary horse was unbeaten in his fourteen-race career and was the highest-rated racehorse in the world from May 2011. He can now be seen all around Newmarket in books, photographs, paintings, plaques and statues, but to see this majestic animal so close was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I truly relished.
Frankel has done so much to promote Juddmonte and racing to wider audiences and has also put Newmarket firmly on the racing map.
Following my time at Juddmonte, I took a quick driving tour which saw me pass The Rowley Mile, The July Course, and The National Stud. I stopped off at The National Stud which remains the only commercial thoroughbred breeding operation in the UK and is located across a dazzling 500-acres of land.
This expansive estate opens its doors to the public and offers them a unique behind the scenes look at a working thoroughbred farm. There are over 2,000 thoroughbreds in training in Newmarket at any one time and it was great to see behind the scenes of this all-embracing site.
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