Advice on Newmarket and surroundings (U.K.)

Ely Cathedral is well worth a visit, hamster as is a stroll along the riverside.

Cambridge is also not far away with plenty to see and do there.

Bury St Edmunds is also good for a visit, the Abbey gardens are lovely. If you are National Trust members or enjoy visiting their properties I’d recommend Ickworth House and Anglesey Abbey. I’m sure you’ll have an enjoyable few days in the area. Cambridge could fill several days on it’s own.

If you like gardens, the Cambridge Botanical Gardens are worth a visit. If you are interested in C20th art Kettles Yard is also interesting. It is the former home of a civil servant who was friends with and collected the works of several artists. The gallery attached has temporary exhibitions.

Newmarket itself, where I grew up, is now pretty sordid, by all accounts. The stable lads always were a rowdy lot.

If you like walking you can walk for ages across the Heath. Even if you're not into horseracing, a visit to the National Stud is worthwhile as Newmarket is more of a breeding centre than a racing venue. There is a horseracing museum in the High Street next to the jockey club.

If you can book a guided tour your will get to see Nell Gwynn's cottage and learn more about Charles II.

Lilly Langtry had a house in nearby Kentford, and Lord Byron lived with his sister Augusta (?) in Six Mile Bottom but there is nothing there these days to commemorate those colourful characters.

Lots of picturesque villages nearby, such as Clare and Lavendish. You need at least a day to see Cambridge, the Colleges, the Backs, the Botanical Gardens and to soak up the atmosphere. If you're lucky there might be a concert or at least Evensong in one of the chapels. Don't miss the grasshopper!

I would suggest staying somewhere on the outskirts, and out of the Town Centre where it can be quite loud and full of drunks late at night. There are some high end Bars and Restaurants with price tags to match aimed at the wealthy race goers and owners who often frequent the place and surrounding Race houses on business. Also a fair few tourist shops, Antique and Charity shops, but on street parking can be difficult, as can theft by opportunist thieves from unattended parked cars., including parts and trim items.

I've lived there. It really isn't a tourist/holiday destination. Cambridge, Ely, Bury, as the others have said, but not Newmarket. It's very rough around the edges.