What happens to old hillclimb venues

[High Speed Diesel]

Hi
New to the forum and I’m afraid I’m one of those 2-wheeled hillclimbers, but being a bit of an historian I have compiled some pictures of Trengwainton hill, down in Cornwall, through the years. Thought you might be interested in seeing them.
Firstly there are some action pics from the 60’s and 70’s, (sorry, only have bikes), then my parents visted the hill in 1986, 10 years after the last event there, you can start to see undergrowth creeping in and finally, I re-visited the hill in 2007 and took pics as close to the original positions as possible, as you can see, mother nature takes no prisoners.
Just click on the link to see the pics.
Jamie Mitchell

http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/e...0Hill%20Climb/

[EmlynO]

Excellent compilation Jamie.
I think it's best for these venues to return to mother nature rather than be covered in concrete and boxes for the masses (eco friendly or otherwise)

[Steve Wilkinson]

Going through the list of venues used in the British Hillclimb Championship:

Bo'ness - until recently it was an access road to a car park but has now been restored!!!

Dyrham Park - still the front drive to the National Trust property and would be easy to resurrect!

Great Auclum - no idea what state this place is in.

Pontypool Park - the roads are still there in the park!

Rest-and-be-Thankful - slowly been allowed to decay however there is a move afoot to get it back into operation; however it will need a heck of a lot of Armco!

Stapleford - I assume this is still there?

Westbrook Hay - front drive of a big house so should still be there!

The remaining venues are either still in use in the Championship or at club level. There are also a couple of the venues that are true road courses (Isle of Man) and they are naturally still there!

[High Speed Diesel]

People have mixed feelings about restoring Trengwainton, most want it left as it is, and it would take alot of work just to get back to the old concrete surface, which would probably need re-surfacing. It's also a National Trust estate???

Peter Tuttall is writing a book about, hopefully for release soon.

[ROGER JORDAN]

Hi Jamie Great photo`s, I started hillclimbing at Tregrehan in 1975 (one of the four wheel softy`s !!)

For anyone on here who doesn`t know, Jamie was (still is!! ?) an absolute star at hillclimbing on two wheels, made my hair stand on end occasionally (usually on most runs) absolutely brilliant, makes us car drivers look like wimps!
How about the 2CV based sidecar unit Jamie.

Best regards Roger Jordan

[High Speed Diesel]

Thanks Roger, Tregrehan is two miles down the road for me, hope it's back next year.
As for the 2CV, my Uncle, Phil Williams has already tried, anyone remember "Kermit"

[Fuzzi]

Great set of photographs Jamie and thank you for your memories of Sprinting down in the west country included on another site.

Is this part of the National Trust estate?

The 2007 shots look a bit like Dancer's End today - but that was never surfaced.

[High Speed Diesel]

The story I have heard, but I have no idea how true it is, is that when the Bolitho family handed to property over to the national trust, it was on the condition that the hillclimb could continue? And I presume that still stands today?

Do any other trust sites have similar clauses??

[jamesholland]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

Going through the list of venues used in the British Hillclimb Championship:

Bo'ness - until recently it was an access road to a car park but has now been restored!!!

Dyrham Park - still the front drive to the National Trust property and would be easy to resurrect!

Great Auclum - no idea what state this place is in.

Pontypool Park - the roads are still there in the park!

Rest-and-be-Thankful - slowly been allowed to decay however there is a move afoot to get it back into operation; however it will need a heck of a lot of Armco!

Stapleford - I assume this is still there?

Westbrook Hay - front drive of a big house so should still be there!

The remaining venues are either still in use in the Championship or at club level. There are also a couple of the venues that are true road courses (Isle of Man) and they are naturally still there!

Great Auclum was I believe swallowed by a housing development.

Stapleford is still all there and is an operational airfield. You can see it clearly from the M25.

There was a plan about 5 or 6 years ago to resurrect Westbrook Hay but it came to nought. I wrote in support but heard nothing back.

[Big Dave]

Hi Jamie great collection well done. I have a shovel anyone else up for it

[ALANGRUMPY]

Originally Posted by jamesholland

Great Auclum was I believe swallowed by a housing development.

The housing estate is built on the paddock/spectator bank to the right of the startline and the banked first corner. The track is still there but in a very sorry state.

I grew up 1/2 a mile from the venue and my first involvement in the sport was selling programmes and generally helping out.

Good memory's from back in the day (1970's)

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally Posted by ALANGRUMPY

Good memory's from back in the day (1970's)

It seems almost un-sporting to score with such an open goal.

[911thillclimber]

Opposite lock indeed in a 'panic' direction?!
Or understeer?

What great pics!

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

Opposite lock indeed in a 'panic' direction?!
Or understeer?

What great pics!

What year was this photo of Trengwainton taken?

[High Speed Diesel]

This was taken around 1953 and it's Arnold White driving the outfit, he was the man behind Trengwainton and the West cornwall Motor Club.

[Woolley]

I think having three people in his sidecar probably isn't helping!

Fantastic picture, though.

[ROGER JORDAN]

What a blast from the past, West Cornwall Motor Club with the much missed Harold Luke-Dunne scrutineering, what a gentleman.
Did you run at Trengwainton Jamie ?
Judging by the angle of the trees a bit scary on a bike for sure, a bit like the tree that grew out at an angle just after the gate at Wiscombe, I`ve seen many a sidecar passenger move their head to miss that one !! a breed apart from us four wheelers that`s for sure.
Superb picture, any more ?
Best regards Roger.

[911thillclimber]

You can still see these 'shots' at Loton and Shelsley etc thank goodness, just select Monochrome!
I thought another enlarged pic here would be good!

[High Speed Diesel]

Never got to ride at Trengainton Roger, but it was my first recollections of motor sport, my father held the 350cc record there and back in the 70's I used to walk to the top and get a lift down on the tank of his Velocette, as I also did at Wiscombe and any other hill we could gat away with it. I had to wait until 86 before I could ride, Trengwainton was long gone by then.

[ghinzani]

Originally Posted by High Speed Diesel

Thanks Roger, Tregrehan is two miles down the road for me, hope it's back next year.
As for the 2CV, my Uncle, Phil Williams has already tried, anyone remember "Kermit"

Jamie, might sound a strange question but did you live at the top of Cormorant drive in Holmbush??

[High Speed Diesel]

Correct
Mitchell Road actually, mother still lives there.

[ghinzani]

Thought so! Sent you a PM.

[High Speed Diesel]

Sorry to open old threads, but just came acorss these pics http://www.panoramio.com/photo/50468622 of Trengwainton earlier this year, seems the old course was cleared for access. Probably by the National Trust.

Concrete doesn't look that bad so I might have to take a trip 40 miles eastward sometime.

[ghinzani]

Best take your bike Jamie!!...and an onboard camera..

[High Speed Diesel]

Hi Steve
Gonna pop down tomorrow and take some pics, will post what I see.

Try and pop into Hayle on route and pick up a philps pasty