It's Royal Ascot week! The history of racing on the Brocket Hall Estate.

Melbourne Lodge, our Georgian coach house conversion

Like many this week, Brocket Hall is eagerly anticipating the glitz and the glamour of the Royal Ascot meeting; importantly for us, it also means that summer is upon us!  

Whether you are attending Royal Ascot or perhaps visiting Auberge du Lac for our own version of Ladies Ascot Day, everyone can get involved in their own way. We thought we would delve into the archives and revisit our own history of horse racing on the Estate.

For those that have visited the Estate previously, you may have stayed in our Melbourne lodge or driven through the Estate on our long winding road. What many do not know however, is that the road through the Estate was in fact a horse racing track that hosted many race days for the Hall’s residents. You can in fact see a glimpse of the Estate in a former life at the Hall; a painting by William Tomkins from 1768 hangs proudly in the front hall as you enter the stately home.

This is not all that remains of Brocket Hall’s history of horse racing. What is widely referred to as Melbourne Lodge, is in fact a renovated stable barn that sits in the tranquil grounds of the Brocket Hall Estate with beautiful views of the Hall, Broadwater Lake and the Melbourne golf course. Used as a place for our guests to stay in luxurious accommodation overnight, our elegant Georgian coach house conversion previously sheltered the tireless steeds that not only took the Hall’s residents hunting, but also provided the main point of interest on race days proudly held on the private race course that circled the Estate during the 18th Century. In keeping with tradition, each of our rooms are named after a famous race horse.

Despite the Estate changing considerably through time, there are many references to the past ensuring that the tradition and history that makes Brocket Hall so intriguing and unique, is not forgotten.