The first amateur sports meeting ever held in Saxmundham was organised by local residents on Whit Monday 1882, nearly five thousand people paid to watch the sports, there were 173 entries and £70 prize money. The sports included running and athletics, and there were two bicycling handicap races, a two miles local and a two miles open. The latter race had fifteen competitors and was run in three heats, but the handicapping was poor and the winner, FJ Cubitt, was a long-marker off 330 yards. There were two bands playing and a promenade concert was held after the sports.
The fourth annual sports 1885 were run on a grass track of four laps to the mile, in the upper part of Hurts Hall Park which was used by permission of Lieut-Col WB Long. The entries for the bicycle races were low because riders feared that may be sanctioned due to a dispute between the AAA and the NCU. The number of bicycle races increased to four and the Ipswich BC rider W Popplewell won two of the open events.
The Field described the Whit Monday 1888 sports as "One of the best athletic meetings ever held in the eastern counties", 7,000 people watched the event.
The attendance at the 1896 sports was 2,500 and the bicycle track was five laps to the mile. The cycling racing was described as ‘very keen and exciting', the events were one and three miles open scratch, one mile novices handicap one and two miles open handicap. RC Knight, one of the London Poly crack riders, won the top two open races.
For some reason, there was no more bicycle racing at Hurts Hall after 1896, but bicycle gymkhanas were held for three years, this was a popular way to raise money for charities amongst the upper classes. Gymkhanas consisted of ladies events such as musical rides and best decorated bicycle.
There were tennis and croquet tournaments at the Park in the 1900s. As a preparation for the First World War, the 6th Suffolk Territorial Cyclist Battalion were trained at Hurts Hall Park for their role in protecting the East coast of Britain in wartime. The cyclists held a sports meeting on 19th July 1913 at the Park during their army training fortnight.
Hurts Hall is still privately owned. Part of the Park has been developed for housing around the area of Manor Gardens.