Firle Hill Climb
Encyclopedia
Firle Hill Climb is a defunct hillclimbing
course near Lewes
, East Sussex, England, sometimes referred to as Bo Peep Hill Climb.
was permanently closed and Donington Park
was out of action. Two other obstacles were petrol rationing, which was not abolished until 26 May 1950, and an acute shortage of tyres, the R.A.C. having banned retreaded or remoulded tyres from competition. The search was on for a place to race. The Bentley Drivers' Club found Firle. W.O. Bentley attended the race here in 1951.
The BARC
event held on Sunday 2 June 1957, was run in conjunction with the BARC 11th Annual Rally at Eastbourne, a 50-mile road event held the day before, starting at the Grasshopper Inn near Westerham
, with intermittent driving tests, including one at Butts Hill, Willingdon
, and then on to Eastbourne, via Beachy Head. A steward of the rally was Captain A. Frazer-Nash, M.I.Mech.E.
On 14 September 1958 Tony Marsh
set an unofficial record of 25.31 sec during a demonstration run: "He chose to run in the big twin Cooper rather than the Formula 2 car, the former being less of a handful on Firle's somewhat bumpy surface."
A report from 1965 states:
"Once again, many of the hill records were lowered, including the absolute record for the hill, which came down from 24.45 seconds, set up by Miss Patsy Burt
in 1963, to 23.87 seconds standing to Gordon Parker in a Cooper Climax. Patsy Burt did her utmost to retain her title but was unable to better 23.97."
On 12 September 1965, Jack Sears
driving a Bentley 8-litre set fastest time of the day by a Bentley.
David Good
, BRM, set the track record of 22.78 sec on 28 May 1967, a record he holds in perpetuity, as the course closed at the end of the season.
Key: R = Course Record; S/C = Supercharged.
Hillclimbing in the British Isles
Hillclimbing in the British Isles differs from the style of hillclimb events staged in many other parts of the world, in that courses are generally short — mostly under one mile in length — and this means that cars and drivers do not generally cross between British events and the...
course near Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
, East Sussex, England, sometimes referred to as Bo Peep Hill Climb.
"The event will consist of a timed climb of the metalled road
known as Bo-Peep Hill, situated near the village of SelmestonSelmestonSelmeston is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. It is located eight miles east of Lewes, to the north of the A27 road between there and Polegate. It is a long straggling village. The church already existed at the time of its mention in the Domesday Book;...
, on
a turning off the A27A27 roadThe A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
. Map reference No. 183/498053. Each
competitor will be permitted two timed runs in addition to
practice."
In 1966 The Autocar reported:
"The hill covers 600 yards, and if the weather is fine the setting is really superb."
History
The situation faced by the racing motorist in England after World War Two was bleak. BrooklandsBrooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
was permanently closed and Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
was out of action. Two other obstacles were petrol rationing, which was not abolished until 26 May 1950, and an acute shortage of tyres, the R.A.C. having banned retreaded or remoulded tyres from competition. The search was on for a place to race. The Bentley Drivers' Club found Firle. W.O. Bentley attended the race here in 1951.
The BARC
British Automobile Racing Club
The British Automobile Racing Club is one of biggest organising clubs for auto racing in the United Kingdom.-History:The Cyclecar Club was formed in 1912, running races for the small and light motorbike powered vehicles at Brooklands as well as rallies and sporting trials. Among the founder...
event held on Sunday 2 June 1957, was run in conjunction with the BARC 11th Annual Rally at Eastbourne, a 50-mile road event held the day before, starting at the Grasshopper Inn near Westerham
Westerham
Westerham is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, in South East England with 5,000 people. The parish is south of the North Downs, ten miles west of Sevenoaks. It covers 5800 acres . It is recorded as early as the 9th century, and was mentioned in the Domesday Book in a...
, with intermittent driving tests, including one at Butts Hill, Willingdon
Willingdon and Jevington
Willingdon and Jevington is one of the civil parishes in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The two villages lie one mile south of Polegate. The two parishes, two decades ago, were separate; the merger of the two has produced a parish of over 6,000 people...
, and then on to Eastbourne, via Beachy Head. A steward of the rally was Captain A. Frazer-Nash, M.I.Mech.E.
Archibald Frazer-Nash
Archibald Goodman Frazer Nash , was an early English motor car designer and engineer, who specialised in manufacturer of light and sports cars in England....
On 14 September 1958 Tony Marsh
Tony Marsh (racing driver)
Anthony Ernest "Tony" Marsh was a British racing driver from England. His Formula One career was short and unsuccessful, but he enjoyed great success in hillclimbing, winning the British Hill Climb Championship on a record six occasions.Having begun his hillclimbing career in 1953 with a...
set an unofficial record of 25.31 sec during a demonstration run: "He chose to run in the big twin Cooper rather than the Formula 2 car, the former being less of a handful on Firle's somewhat bumpy surface."
A report from 1965 states:
"Once again, many of the hill records were lowered, including the absolute record for the hill, which came down from 24.45 seconds, set up by Miss Patsy Burt
Patsy Burt
Patricia Mary "Patsy" Burt was a British motor racing driver.During a long and varied career, Patsy Burt won many British national-level competitions, and was the first female driver ever to win both the Brighton Speed Trials and the RAC National Sprint Championship...
in 1963, to 23.87 seconds standing to Gordon Parker in a Cooper Climax. Patsy Burt did her utmost to retain her title but was unable to better 23.97."
On 12 September 1965, Jack Sears
Jack Sears
Jack Sears is a British former race and rally driver, and was one of the principal organisers of the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon. He was popularly known as "Gentleman Jack". His son David is also involved in motorsport....
driving a Bentley 8-litre set fastest time of the day by a Bentley.
David Good
David Good
David Good is a former British Hill Climb Champion. In 1961 he won the qualifying rounds at Westbrook Hay and Wiscombe Park, driving a Cooper-JAP Mk 8, and clinched the title with a third place at Prescott in September...
, BRM, set the track record of 22.78 sec on 28 May 1967, a record he holds in perpetuity, as the course closed at the end of the season.
Firle Hill Climb events and past winners
| Year | Driver | Vehicle | Time | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | F.H. Howorth | Lagonda Lagonda Lagonda is a British luxury car marque, founded as a company in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex by a former opera singer from Ohio, but of Scottish ancestry, named Wilbur Gunn . He named the company after a river near the town of his birth, Springfield, Ohio, United States... 4½-litre #57 |
31.40 sec R | Bentley D.C. | 25 September. |
| 1950 | G.D. Parker | Jaguette 2½-litre S/C | 31.40 sec | Bentley D.C. | 24 September; equalled course record. |
| 1951 | Gerry Crozier | Barnato-Hassan 8-litre | 30.2 sec R | Bentley D.C. | 30 September. |
| 1952 | Gerry Crozier | Bentley Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later... 8-litre |
30.8 sec | Bentley D.C. | 28 September. Joint fastest. |
| D. Hely | Frazer-Nash LMR | ||||
| 1953 | Ben Wyatt | Frazer-Nash 2-litre | 30.91 sec | Bentley D.C. | 27 September. Mist affected second runs. |
| 1954 | G. Parker | Jaguara S/C | 28.46 sec | Bentley D.C. | 5 September. |
| 1955 | G. Parker | Jaguara 3½-litre S/C | 26.98 sec R | Bentley D.C. | 4 September. |
| 1956 | J. Rudd | Frazer-Nash LMR | 29.63 sec | BARC | 25 May. |
| Max Trimble | Jaguar C-Type | 28.67 sec | Bentley D.C. | 2 September. | |
| 1957 | G. Parker | Jaguara | 26.73 sec R | BARC East Sussex/Bentley D.C. | 2 June. |
| M. Salmon | Jaguar C-Type | 28.38 sec | Bentley D.C. | 8 September. | |
| 1958 | W.D.J. Roscoe | Cooper-JAP S/C | 26.71 sec R | BARC | 1 June. |
| P.M. Salmon | Jaguar C-Type | 27.48 sec | Bentley D.C. | 7 September. | |
| BARC S.E. | Oct 5. | ||||
| 1959 | Patsy Burt Patsy Burt Patricia Mary "Patsy" Burt was a British motor racing driver.During a long and varied career, Patsy Burt won many British national-level competitions, and was the first female driver ever to win both the Brighton Speed Trials and the RAC National Sprint Championship... |
Cooper | 26.57 sec R | BARC | 31 May. |
| M.H. Barker | Alton-Jaguar | 28.39 sec | Bentley D.C. | 6 September. | |
| Patsy Burt | Cooper-Climax | 25.40 sec R | BARC South Eastern | 4 October. | |
| 1960 | BARC South Eastern | 29 May. | |||
| M.G. Car Club (S.E.) | 10 July. | ||||
| A.G. Mann Alan Mann Racing Alan Mann Racing was a British motor racing team. It was organized by Alan Mann, born in 1936, who was a part-time racing driver and team manager. The team ran a substantial part of the Ford works racing effort in Europe from 1964 to 1969, when it closed its doors... |
H.W.M. Hersham and Walton Motors Hersham and Walton Motors is the world's longest established Aston Martin business and is well known as a racing car constructor. As a constructor, it is best known for its involvement in Formula Two from 1950 to 1953 and Formula One in 1954... -Jaguar |
27.36 sec | Bentley D.C. | 4 September. | |
| M. Anthony | Lister-Corvette 5,555 c.c. | 26.08 sec | BARC | 2 October. | |
| 1961 | Arthur Owen Arthur Owen Arthur Owen was a British racing driver from England. He participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, the 1960 Italian Grand Prix, driving a privately-entered 2.2 litre Cooper. He crashed on the first lap of the race at the South Corner, due to brake failure... |
Cooper | 25.94 sec | BARC South Eastern | 28 May. |
| W.G. Heathcote | Lotus 18-Ford 1.0-litre | 26.55 sec | M.G. Car Club MG Car Club The MG Car Club is an international club founded in 1930 for owners and enthusiasts of MG cars. The club headquarters are based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire and are located adjacent to the now defunct MG factory site where cars were produced between 1930 - 1980... (S.E.) |
9 July. | |
| Bentley D.C. | 3 September. | ||||
| A. Owen | Cooper | 25.21 sec R | BARC S.E./M.G. Car Club (S.E.) | 1 October. | |
| 1962 | A. Owen | Cooper | 24.83 sec R | BARC | 27 May. Wet morning, dry afternoon. |
| W.G. Heathcote | Lotus 18-Ford 1.0-litre | 25.40 sec | M.G. Car Club (S.E.) | 8 July. | |
| C.R.C. Aston | Aston Martin DB3S 2,992 c.c. | 26.09 sec | Bentley D.C./M.G. Car Club | 16 September. | |
| D. Good David Good David Good is a former British Hill Climb Champion. In 1961 he won the qualifying rounds at Westbrook Hay and Wiscombe Park, driving a Cooper-JAP Mk 8, and clinched the title with a third place at Prescott in September... |
Cooper-Climax | 27.68 sec | BARC S.E./M.G. Car Club (S.E.) | 30 September. Wet and slippery. | |
| 1963 | Patsy Burt | Cooper T59-Climax 2.0 | 24.45 sec R | BARC South Eastern | 26 May. |
| Gordon Parker | Cooper-Climax | 25.06 sec | BARC S.E./M.G. Car Club (S.E.) | 14 July. | |
| D.R. Good | Cooper-Daimler | 24.53 sec | BARC S.E./M.G. Car Club (S.E.) | 1 September. | |
| Peter Farquharson | Allard Allard The Allard Motor Company was an English car manufacturer founded in 1936 by Sydney Allard. The company, based in Putney, London. until 1945 and then in Clapham, London, produced approximately 1900 cars until its closure in 1966.... J2-Chrysler 5.4-litre |
26.23 sec | Bentley D.C. | 15 September. | |
| 1964 | Gordon Parker | Cooper T43-Climax 1.5 S/C | 23.87 sec R | BARC South Eastern | 31 May. |
| David Beckett | Lister-Jaguar 3.8-litre | 27.89 sec | M.G. Car Club (S.E.) | 12 July. | |
| David Beckett | Lister-Jaguar | 25.45 sec | Bentley D.C. | 13 September. | |
| J.F. Barnes | Elva Elva (car manufacturer) Elva was a sports and racing car manufacturing company based in Bexhill, then Hastings and Rye, East Sussex, United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1955 by Frank G. Nichols. The name comes from the French phrase elle va .-Racing cars:... Mk 7-Ford 1,500 c.c. S/C |
24.41 sec | BARC South Eastern | 4 October. | |
| 1965 | Patsy Burt | Cooper T59-Climax 2.0 | 24.22 sec | BARC South Eastern | 30 May. |
| BARC South Eastern, 20 June, practice day. | |||||
| Gordon Parker | Cooper-Climax | 26.87 sec | M.G. Car Club (S.E.) | 11 July, wet. | |
| Gordon Parker | Cooper Climax | 23.09 sec | BARC S.E./M.G. Car Club (S.E.) | 29 August. | |
| R. Tindell | Lister-Jaguar | 25.88 sec | Bentley D.C. | 12 September. | |
| 1966 | John Barnes | Elva Mk 7-Ford 1,650 c.c. S/C | 24.09 sec | BARC South Eastern | 29 May. |
| D. Harris | D.M.F. 3-Ford 1.6-litre | 24.02 sec | M.G. Car Club (S.E.)/BARC | 19 June. | |
| 1967 | David Good | BRM P67 4wd 2.0-litre #170 | 22.78 sec R | BARC South Eastern | 28 May. |
| M.G. Car Club (S.E.), 25 June, rained off. | |||||
| John Fenwick | Brabham BT18 Ford 1.6-litre | 24.52 sec | BARC South Eastern | 27 August. | |
| Mike Barker | Alton-Jaguar | 25.71 sec | Bentley D.C. | 17 September. | |
Key: R = Course Record; S/C = Supercharged.
See also
- Brighton Speed TrialsBrighton Speed TrialsThe Brighton Speed Trials, in full The Brighton National Speed Trials, is commonly held to be the oldest running motor race. The first race was held July 19–22, 1905 after Sir Harry Preston persuaded Brighton town council to tarmac the surface of the road adjacent to the beach between the Palace...
- Goodwood CircuitGoodwood CircuitGoodwood Circuit is an historic venue for both two- and four-wheeled motorsport in the United Kingdom. The 2.4 mile circuit is situated near Chichester, West Sussex, close to the south coast of England, on the estate of Goodwood House, and completely encircles Chichester/Goodwood Airport...
- Gurston Down Motorsport HillclimbGurston Down Motorsport HillclimbThe Gurston Down Motorsport Hillclimb is a hillclimb in Broad Chalke, Wiltshire, England, organised by the South Western Centre of the British Automobile Racing Club. The first practice meeting was held on June 25, 1967, when Patsy Burt, driving a McLaren-Oldsmobile set a time of 39.90 sec...
- Lewes Speed TrialsLewes Speed TrialsThe Lewes Speed Trials were speed trials held on a defunct course in Lewes, Sussex, England, sometimes known as "The Motor Road."-History:The first meeting took place on July 27, 1924, on "a private road near Lewes", location unidentified. The event was organised by the Brighton & Hove Motor Cycle...