'The challenge is getting people to realise how special it is' - 200 years of history but only success will protect Beckhampton's status

It was 1839 when the first Classic winner came out of Beckhampton. The best part of 200 years later, it takes very little imagination to picture how it might have looked back then. 

The magic of Beckhampton is the way it has been preserved from one generation to the next, meaning what you see today is pretty much what you'd have always seen. And it is a sight to behold. 

Sandwiched between a pair of busy A roads in Wiltshire might not sound like a location of natural beauty but, in the 'V' where the two roads part, 650 acres of roaming downland dominate the landscape. Even so, the peaceful stable courtyard which first welcomes visitors to Beckhampton gives little indication of the scale and wonderment that lies beyond.