Point to Point Race Meetings 

These meetings started in 1948 and finished in 1974, they were organised by Mr E Saltmarsh of Trinity Hall Farm. The meetings were run by the Suffolk Hunt, the Newmarket & Thurlow Hunt and the West Norfolk Hunt, (2 years). During one meeting, a lady rider was killed when her horse fell at a jump on the fast downhill section. At another meeting a spectator was killed by a runaway horse.

To the villagers the Point to Point races provided a good day out. There was a path from the Kennett/Chippenham Road junction to the course, it seemed a long way especially if you were small. The course was dominated on the high ground by a huge car park, lower down was the parade ring, tote, bookies, refreshments, changing rooms etc. It was exciting to stand by the finish and watch the horses come in, there was many a spill and sometimes a horse would collapse. 

At one meeting one of the bookies did 'a runner ' throwing his board in the wood, we did not, at the time understand what was going on. The day after the meeting, youngsters from the village would go back to the course and look through all the tents and surrounding area, for any money that had been dropped, with some success. 

Many men from Moulton Paddocks and Trinity Hall farms were employed in the upkeep of the course, youngsters from the village were also employed at stone picking from the course, a tiresome task. It was a sad day for all, when it was decided not to hold anymore meetings, I'm sure many of us have pleasant memories of those days. 

©2000 John Gunson, Village Recorder