Stone worktops in Newmarket

The home of racing

James I discovered Newmarket while hunting on the heath in 1604 and turned an inn on the High Street into a royal palace. Charles II built another from 1666, and Palace House, the surviving part of it, is now part of the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art. The Jockey Club arrived in 1752.

Racing still shapes the town. More than 3,000 horses were in training here in 2022, with around 70 trainers and over 60 stud farms nearby, and the Rowley Mile and July Course host racing on 39 days a year.

A town once split between two counties

Until the late 19th century the High Street was the county boundary: the north side was in Suffolk and the south side in Cambridgeshire. The whole town has been in Suffolk since 1889. Its postcodes still start with CB, after Cambridge, which is one reason people are sometimes unsure who covers it. We do.

Older buildings

Newmarket has many listed buildings. If yours is listed, check with West Suffolk Council before changing the kitchen, as consent can apply to interiors too. Templating takes care of the uneven walls and floors that come with older houses.

Kitchens that work hard

Busy households, early starts and muddy boots all point to a hard-wearing surface. Granite and quartzite take heat and knocks in their stride, and quartz needs no sealing at all.