The Hippodrome was a racecourse built in 1837 by John Whyte. Whyte intended the racecourse to rival those at Epsom and Ascot but critics were split in opinion over the build. Its location near to the slums was particularly contentious.
The heavy clay of the area also caused the training ground to be waterlogged for much of the year and too dangerous to use. The image of the Hippodrome deteriorated until it was closed in 1842. Only Hippodrome Place, a small street off Pottery Lane, is left as a memorial to Whyte’s ambitious venture.
