A former rubbing house at Salisbury Racecourse has been listed as Grade II by Historic England.
The building is one of the few surviving rubbing houses of its kind in England, and was designed to wash, dry and rub down racehorses at the course.
The Former Rubbing House dates to between 1675 and 1706 and highlights the level of care given to these valuable horses at the time.
Once a common building found at most equestrian establishments, the rubbing house is now extremely rare.
“Architecturally, the building is well-detailed and of high-quality, emphasising just how important its role on the course was,” said a spokesman for Historic England.
“The functional elements of the building are still evident, such as the tall entrance, which would allow the horse and rider to go through the doorway, the tethering rings and the wide doorways designed to protect horses from injury.”
The Former Rubbing House is one of 423 historic places have been added to the National Heritage List for England during 2020.
Through listing these sites, Historic England hopes to ensure England’s rich and varied cultural heritage is preserved so that the public can continue to cherish the sites that makes their local places so important.
“I am delighted that these important sites have been listed,” added Heritage Minister, Nigel Huddleston.
“These significant additions to the list span the whole country and include something for everyone to enjoy. I am grateful that, thanks to these listings, these heritage sites will continue to enrich our communities for generations to come.”
