Brooklands

AndyF · 13 Feb 2002, 11:05 (Ref:215112)

Does anyone know the latest about Brooklands? I heard several months ago that there were plans to build high-rised flats and offices on part of the site - has anything come of this?

Cheers,

AndyF

**Aysedasi** · 13 Feb 2002, 11:35 (Ref:215124)

Jeez, is nothing sacred?

**Stephen Green** · 13 Feb 2002, 12:20 (Ref:215164)

I was there last month to help with a marshals training day and there are already offices on part of the old circuit. As I understand things the club are trying to renovate some of the remaining banked track for use in sprint meetings, but I could be wrong. It's a fantastic place to visit as there is the motor and aero museum there!

**Aysedasi** · 13 Feb 2002, 13:44 (Ref:215205)

Quote:

Originally posted by Stephen Green
It's a fantastic place to visit as there is the motor and aero museum there!

Absolutely right, Stephen. I went there about 6-7 years ago. To be able to stand up on that banking - a fantastic experience (who needs cars?!!). If you've got the vaguest interest in the history of motor sport, it's a tremendously atmospheric place to visit. I'd recommend it to you. (I've got some photos I took on that day somewhere, I must dig them out.....!).

TimD · 13 Feb 2002, 17:52 (Ref:215316)

The building work, sadly, is well under way. My last visit, about 3 weeks ago, was accompanied by a constant thumping from the piledriving machines putting in the foundations.

For those who know the site, the new office is on what was the chickenwire fenced car park which Gallaghers built on the start/finish straight.

So if you're standing in the clubhouse entrance, looking at the test hill, you will see the aircraft hangar on your left, test hill and the Campbell section straight ahead and a sodding great building site to your right.

The offices are being built for the Prudential Assurance, and I for one will not be purchasing any of their financial services again.

On the plus side, I understand that all existing sections of the banking (including the Byfleet Banking by the industrial estate) have now been scheduled as ancient monuments, which means no developer will be able to touch them, and it might even mean that it'll be worth the museum trust's while putting the Vickers airstrip back into commission for sprint events and aircraft fly-ins.

Poor old Brooklands. Bruised and bloodied, she still refuses to die, thank goodness.

**Aysedasi** · 13 Feb 2002, 20:39 (Ref:215419)

Well said Tim, I agree 100%. Long may she survive.

AndyF · 13 Feb 2002, 20:45 (Ref:215426)

It is a shame that this building work has gone ahead, but I am glad the rest of the site is preserved. When I went there last year with Driving Test, I had the privilidge of driving on part of the old banking!

Long Live Brooklands!!!

paulzinho · 14 Feb 2002, 14:53 (Ref:215874)

When was the last race to be held at Brooklands? Has anyone got any pictures at all?

TimD · 14 Feb 2002, 15:57 (Ref:215903)

August 7th 1939, Paul.

I've a lot of images, but nothing scanned in - so I'd suggest the very best archive of Brooklands material on the net, the Brooklands Society website.

http://www.hartlana.co.uk/brooklands/

paulzinho · 14 Feb 2002, 16:01 (Ref:215905)

How come it wasn't used post war?

TimD · 14 Feb 2002, 17:09 (Ref:215923)

A long and sorry saga, Paul.

There had been an aerodrome in the centre of the Brooklands circuit from the earliest days, and a number of civilian flying activities took place there. When World War II broke out, there was a need for the dispersal of British aircraft manufacturing, and by a convoluted process, Brooklands became the home of the Vickers aircraft works, manufacturing Wellington bombers and Hurricane fighters.

In order to disguise the facility, the track was camouflaged. Fake houses were built on the bankings, and young trees were even set into the concrete.

The main hangar itself was built slap on top of the start-finish straight.

Thousands of fighting aircraft were turned out of the factory, and on only one occasion did the Luftwaffe manage to put a stick of bombs on Brooklands, causing minimal damage.

Preserving the track surface, however, was not a priority for the War Department, and by 1945 the circuit was frankly a mess. The outer circuit was unusable, and the hangar still blocked the straight. When the British Government offered the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club a sum of money for the site, the committee reluctantly agreed. Led by Sir Malcolm Campbell, the view was that the Club, after years of hardship, had not the capital to restore the track. The Club accepted the money, and were soon out looking for alternative racing sites. Ironically, they settled on a surplus RAF bomber airfield near a village called Silverstone....

Vickers went on to manufacture airliners on Brooklands until the late 1960s, until the site was sold to Gallaghers tobacco. They demolished a large portion of the Members Banking to make way for offices, and sold on a portion of the western side of the site to more developers, who tore down part of the Byfleet Banking to make an access way for a Tesco and a Marks & Spencer superstore.

When, in 1969, flood damage brought down the Hennebique Bridge, which crossed the River Wey as part of the Members Banking, Brooklands as a race circuit had most certainly "had it".

paulzinho · 14 Feb 2002, 22:41 (Ref:216163)

Thanks for that history lesson, shame that it went that way, but perhaps it adds to the legend of Brooklands. It makes whats left of it more important and treasurable.

**Aysedasi** · 15 Feb 2002, 11:01 (Ref:216379)

That's true to an extent, Paul, but although the circuit was in a mess after the war, it seems from what Tim says that most of the track/banking was still intact. To survive those years of conflict with so little damage and then to be desecrated for the benefit of M&S and Tesco's really is sacrilege!

paulzinho · 15 Feb 2002, 13:46 (Ref:216473)

I won't disagree with you there!!

Hmmm I'm gonna quit Tesco..... soon.... but I need the money.... AAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!

Speed Demon · 15 Feb 2002, 19:26 (Ref:216643)

True enough, cutting away the banking to make a road for a supermarket is sacrilege - but it did at least highlight the circuit's existance to the general public, who may have had no idea that a racing circuit was ever there. You can see from the Motor Sport track test that it also highlights how steep the banking was.

Who knows, perhaps this was in part the reason the remaining circuit was protected? Something had to be destroyed to make the authorities sit up and take notice of the rest.

strad · 6 Mar 2002, 09:47 (Ref:229098)

[IMG]cdc074t[/IMG]

strad · 6 Mar 2002, 09:59 (Ref:229111)

Well that didn't work...can't post pictures from my files...I have a few I would send you if I had an address.

strad · 6 Mar 2002, 10:25 (Ref:229131)

Better yet just go to:
www.hartlana.co.uk/bsarchive/Default.htm

Just click on this link.............

strad · 6 Mar 2002, 10:30 (Ref:229134)

sorry Tim..I didn't notice you had given the link.

Mine does go straight to the photo archive..........

strad · 6 Mar 2002, 10:50 (Ref:229151)

Lets try this again.....just for fun

strad · 6 Mar 2002, 10:53 (Ref:229153)

Oh wow..that's great...didn't think I could do that

TimD · 6 Mar 2002, 17:00 (Ref:229342)

Excellent pics Strad.

The clear air under the Bugatti clearly demonstrates that Brooklands was not what you'd call a smooth track even in its heyday.

I'm trying to place the lower picture. I would have said that the timekeepers' bus would make it a JCC event, but I'm fairly sure that's a Talbot 90 high on the banking. Not the '29 Double 12 race is it?

strad · 6 Mar 2002, 19:13 (Ref:229456)

Im not sure but I think it's 1930. I'm not very good at labeling my photos

Someday I'll learn

Try this one:

strad · 6 Mar 2002, 19:27 (Ref:229474)

try this one

strad · 6 Mar 2002, 19:29 (Ref:229476)

Check out that banking! I was going to attach a different one of some guy they refer to as T.A.S.O but they said it was too big. Any info on who was T.A.S.O.?

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