• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
ask Dr Zag

ask Dr Zag

Questions & Facts

  • Local questions
  • Topics
  • Ask
  • Reset location
  • Chester

Why is Chester Racecourse called the Roodee?

Last updated April 10, 2021 by ZagBot Comment

The name Roodee for Chester Racecourse in Chester, England, is a corruption of its earlier name, Rood eye, thought to mean Island of the Cross. It is derived from a combination of the Saxon word ‘rood’ for ‘cross’, and the Norse ‘eye’, meaning ‘island’.

The racecourse sits on the banks of the River Dee and much of it was under tidal waters in medieval times save for an area of elevated ground, upon which a holy cross, or rood, apparently stood at one time.

At the centre of the present-day racecourse there is a grassy mound upon which a stone plinth sits, which is said to be the base and part of the original cross.

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Select a rating

Primary Sidebar

Chester Racecourse
Chester
Cheshire
CH1 2LY
United Kingdom

No Records Found

Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.

Google Map Not Loaded

Sorry, unable to load Google Maps API.

Footer

About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • FAQ
FAQ
  • Login
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy policy
  • Community guidelines

Copyright © 2023 Petryal

  • Terms and Conditions
Change Location
Find awesome listings near you!