welsh hillclimbs

[j w davies]

does anybody know the location of the castle hill hillclimb course near bridgend (mid glamorgan). it was used post war.
also my list of welsh hillclimb venues is:
caerphilly
castle hill
castell coch
fairyhill (gower)
penrice (gower)
llys-y-fran
lydstep
margam park
pontypool park
plas newydd
pontrhydfendigaid
am i missing any? any information would be appreciated. john william davies.

[RAP]

According to Autosport 9 April 54 Castel Farm Hill was at Llangynydd near Bridgend. Course length was 600 yards. Does your list include pre-1924 events held on public roads?

[j w davies]

thank you for that. i've just found out that www.swanseamotorclub.co.uk have updated their history section with info on castel farm, penrice hillclimb (1972-1974) and fairwood circuit. well worth a visit. also www.sandspeedwales.co.uk has lots of good stuff, espcially on djelmo.
caerphilly was run on public roads from setember 11th 1907.
john william davies

[RAP]

John
I have checked my records and come up with a few extra venues. However, I note that you are not including sprints (eg Pembrey)and some of these may be sprints rather than hill climbs. Also, of course, venues were sometimes referred to by different names so they may duplicate your list. I would no know of any motor-cycle only courses.
Buttrill's Hill, Barry SWAC 1905-1910
Catsash Hill Nr Newport SWAC 9/7/21, ACU 28/6/23
Cross Hands Hill Nr Usk Cardiff MC 20/5/11
Llangennech 1/6/07 Welsh AC
Llanwrst-Llangerniew Road 24/6/07 N Wales AC
Rhubina Hill Cardiff MC 1907-20
Philadelphia, Camarthen Welsh AC 6/6/08 & 18/7/12
St George's Hill Abergele Colwyn Bay MC 14/6/24

I have no knowledge of events at Castell Coch, Fairyhill, Magram Park, Plasnewydd & Ponthydfendigaid. Can you provide more info?

[j w davies]

thanks for your information, it is very much appreciated.
castel coch is listed on
www.silhouet.com/motorsport/trcks/gbhc.html
thats the only knowledge of it i have.
pontrhydfendigaid is a new venue, 1 mile uphill with a tarmac return road.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/3190366.stm
looking again at the swansea motor club site it seems that fairy hill was just for motorcycles in 1924.
margam park supposedly held hillclimbs pre war, though i'm not sure if it was just motorcycles (there was a vmcc hillclimb there in 2002).
plas newydd is a national trust house in anglesey. i read somewhere that they used to hold hillclimbs there but i didn't make a note of the source and of course now i can't find it.

here is a photo of an aston martin db3s at castel farm.
john william davies