Castle Howard Hill Climb mystery

[tracer.smart]

I've heard there used to be one at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire, but googling hasn't turned anything up.

Do any of you know if there is / was such an event?

[mmm-five]

There was one in the 60's, but haven't heard of (or been recruited) for anything over that way other than Harewood.

[ellroy]

Nothing at Castle Howard that i'm aware of, having lived within spitting distance for the last ten years or so> I'm guessing someone got confused over the rather good hill climb over at Harewood.

[Daftlad]

I belive there was one in the past and I understand it has been looked at again for suitability as a speed event.

[blot]

Apparently way back when, they used to use Sutton Bank for hillclimbs. Now that would have been fun

[tracer.smart]

Thanks for the responses guys - Daftlad, what do you know about it being looked at recently?

[Stewart W.]

There was certainly a 'hill-climb' at Castle Howard in the 1960s - I know because I competed in at least one such event with a Lotus Cortina Mk 1 and attended others as spectator.

Of course the place had no actual hills that I recall. but the event format was that of a hill-climb event - times runs along the course one car at a time.

[66Elan]

Castle Howard Hillclimb

First used 1959
Last used October 1974

Starting from down down by the dairy pond in front of the house the 600 yd course used the drive round Ray Wood up to finish past the castle. Last record set at 26.47 seconds in October 1974 set by David Hepworth in 4wd Brabham.

Above details taken from the book - 'Motorsport Explorer' which lists 800 historic motorsport locations in the British Isles.

[anonymous-user]

My father used to race there too, I remember going as a child to help / watch with my little brother. Looking at the dates I was 6. There is a hill, well actually a slope, but I do remember the final corner would catch a few people out. The sweet smell of Castrol R and the sound of DFV's getting properly thrashed, weekends were a lot more fun back then, happy days!

[tuffer]

I was out cycling last weekend and found a lovely little stretch of tarmac climbing a local hill to a farm and thought, this would make a great hillclimb venue.......Low and behold, back in the 60's it was: http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/...

[anonymous-user]

tuffer said:

I was out cycling last weekend and found a lovely little stretch of tarmac climbing a local hill to a farm and thought, this would make a great hillclimb venue.......Low and behold, back in the 60's it was: http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/...

What a fantastic list of cars. Frazer Nash, Aston, Supercharged JAP Cooper, Alvis.

[macmachugh]

A few years since this topic but came across it by chance. I competed at Castle Howard April 1963 in my Lotus XL, trounced by a Lotus 23 and blew a head gasket trying to beat it!

[Dinoboy]

Future champion Patsy Burt there also.

[Red Devil]

Another one I remember from the same era: Firle which closed in 1967 on safety grounds.
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=125129
Patsy Burt held the course record 3 times.

It was revived in 2015 and has been held each year since.
https://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/blog/events/a...
https://www.facebook.com/events/1431496143578036/
Pics

It's a public road so anyone can drive the course.
Start - https://goo.gl/maps/T6HQRxcnSEm
Finish - https://goo.gl/maps/4JkS9m6AAUu
On a clear day the views from the top of the hill are superb.

Another venue in East Sussex was Bodiam.
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=108849
http://www.bygonebodiam.co.uk/Bodiam%20Hill%20Clim...
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article...

Indeed East Sussex was well to the fore in motorsport the 1950s. Frank Nichols' Elva company was located in Bexhill.

Re the last link, the guy who finished second was George Henrotte who owned Campbell's Garage in Hayes, Kent.
A kilted piper was his trade mark..

He and Bob Gayler (ex Weslake and Baldyne) founded Piper Tuning in the mid 60s. I was one of their early customers.
The tuning business subsequently evolved into the company which is still around today - Piper Cams.

[Dinoboy]

Very interesting Red Devil.

[Red Devil]

More trivia.

In 1963 George took over the Chequered Flag FJ team racing the Gemini Mk IVa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(racing_car)
https://www.hrscc.co.nz/formula-junior/gemini/cheq...
The car was driven by NZ racer Howden Ganley.
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk/formula2/FJ63_GBSumm...
https://hamptondowns.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/...
Unfortunately the car suffered from reliability problems and production ceased that year.
it was outclassed by the Lotus 27 which Peter Arundell drove to win the FJ World Championship.

What is maybe less well known is the history of Piper Cars.
https://sites.google.com/site/thepiperclub/History...
http://www.thepiperclub.org.uk/
http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-ca...
https://www.influx.co.uk/cars/piper/

Back to other past hillclimb courses.

Great Auclum in Berkshire which closed in the 70s
http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/gb/great...
http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/23258/mots-...
More pics

Dyrham Park; A very short lived course used for only 5 years in the 60s
Championship rounds held from '63 through '66
http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/gb/dyrha...
http://www.progcovers.com/motor/dyrham.html
http://hillclimb.uk/bhc/venue.php?venue=Dyrham+Par...

Bo'ness on the Firth of Forth. Went out of use in the mid 60s.
http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/gb/bones...
http://www.bonessrevival.co.uk/spectator-informati...
Pics
Another one which has since been revived starting in 2008
http://www.bonessrevival.co.uk/race-results/

The fearsome Rest-and-be-Thankful in Argyll. Last run in 1969.
It was used for restricted events the following year and then closed.
http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/gb/rest_...
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article...
The Cobra Drivers Club has had exclusive annual access to this private road course since 2014.
http://www.classic-car-tours.com/rest-be-thankful/...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyxyL7sI3BA

[Prattking]

I remember Firle Hill climb well. Was the first climb I competed in. I was there the day of the accident that closed it. From memory it was a Lotus Elan that spun into the spectators. One woman was quite badly injured but nothing fatal. Is was then found that the road was a public right of way so could not be closed.
I also remember Great Auclum. The shortest hill at the time, only 440 yds. I won the saloon car class on the last year it was held which I think was 1976.
The hill was modelled on the Cresta Run tobogganing course as the owner used to compete in his younger days so had his front drive modeled on it..

[Red Devil]

Prattking said:

I remember Firle Hill climb well. Was the first climb I competed in. I was there the day of the accident that closed it. From memory it was a Lotus Elan that spun into the spectators. One woman was quite badly injured but nothing fatal.

It was indeed. Dark blue with gold centre stripe and gold steel wheels. Car #90, Driver K Barrow, Circle CC. 29th May 1966.
Some dips**t walkers/ramblers ignored the motor racing signs and chose an inadvisable place to spectate from.
The Lotus lost control and mounted the left hand bank, spun and then went up the right hand bank injuring the walkers.

Prattking said:

Is was then found that the road was a public right of way so could not be closed.

Bopeep Lane was, and remains, a public road. That wasn't sudden revelation. Closure was never an option..
The problem was that without enough marshals to control any numpties the hill was no longer manageable.
The last event was held in 1967 and the venue was then abandoned.

Prattking said:

I also remember Great Auclum. The shortest hill at the time, only 440 yds. I won the saloon car class on the last year it was held which I think was 1976.
The hill was modelled on the Cresta Run tobogganing course as the owner used to compete in his younger days so had his front drive modeled on it..

The owner of the Great Auclum estate was Neil William Gardiner. He held a patent for a cutting edge hydrofoil boat design granted in July 1952.
He was a director of Huntley & Palmers the well known biscuit manufacturer at nearby Reading.
The last event was held in 1975 - http://www.hantsandberksmc.org.uk/archive-great-au...

[healeyfan]

Didn't a Lotus Elan cause the Brighton Speed trials to go from side to side to single
or have I got that completely wrong?

[Red Devil]

The last year of side-by-side runs was 1981.
http://www.brightonspeedtrials.co.uk/about .
That was the year that Harry Sword died after losing control of his Lotus Elan.
http://www.roofsideup.com/brighton-speed-trials/