Goodwood House
Encyclopedia
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
in southern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the seat of the Dukes of Richmond. Several architects have contributed to the design of the house, including James Wyatt
James Wyatt
James Wyatt RA , was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical style, who far outdid Adam in his work in the neo-Gothic style.-Early classical career:...
. It was the intention to build the house to a unique octagonal layout, but only three of the eight sides were built. Some of the older parts of the house also survive, although some sections were demolished in the mid 20th century. The house has opulent neo-classical interiors and is open to the public on a limited number of days per year. It is also available to hire for weddings and corporate events.
The surrounding Goodwood Estate is a major sport and leisure venue featuring Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...
, home of the Glorious Goodwood flatracing festival, which is one of the highlights of the English social season; Chichester/Goodwood Airport
Chichester/Goodwood Airport
Chichester/Goodwood Airport , normally referred to as Goodwood Airfield or Goodwood Aerodrome is located north northeast of Chichester, West Sussex, England....
and Goodwood Circuit
Goodwood Circuit
Goodwood 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...
; and the Goodwood Park Hotel, Golf and Country Club. The immediate grounds of the house also play host to the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or...
, which has rapidly become a major event in the diary of all fans, participants and companies associated with motor racing. The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a British manufacturer of luxury automobiles based at the Goodwood plant in West Sussex, England. It is the current producer of Rolls-Royce branded automobiles, whose historical production dates back to 1904. The factory is located across from the historic Goodwood Circuit...
manufacturing plant and global headquarters
Goodwood Plant
The Goodwood plant serves as the headquarters, design, manufacturing and assembly centre for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.Officially opened for business on 1 January 2003, the plant has been expanded twice since, and now covers . It presently employs 800 workers, half of whom are employed in the wood and...
is located on the south end of Goodwood Estate.
Within the grounds is a golf course, as well as a members only clubhouse known as The Kennels, originally built for the hounds of the 3rd Duke of Richmond. Outside the grounds is the hotel, formerly a franchise of Marriott
Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Founded by J. Willard Marriott, the company is now led by son J.W. Marriott, Jr...
and now independently run by the Goodwood company.
In 1982, the Goodwood estate played host to the World Road Cycling Championships
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale...
. The women's race was won by Great Britain's Mandy Jones, while the men's professional race was taken out by Giuseppe Saronni
Giuseppe Saronni
Giuseppe Saronni , also known as Beppe Saronni, is an Italian former racing cyclist.-Biography:Born in Novara, Piedmont, Saronni turned professional in 1977. During his career, that lasted until 1989, he won 193 races...
, who launched a devastating sprint in the final 300 metres to overtake the USA's Greg Lemond
Greg LeMond
Gregory James LeMond is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States and a three-time winner of the Tour de France. He was born in Lakewood, California and raised in Reno, Nevada....
(who would win the title the following year) and local favourite, Sean Kelly
Seán Kelly (cyclist)
John James 'Sean' Kelly is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classics riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193...
from Ireland.
The Monarch's Way
Monarch's Way
The Monarch's Way is a long-distance footpath in England that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester.Most of the footpath is waymarked...
long-distance footpath crosses the downs from west to east, passing immediately south of the racecourse. The Goodwood House also looks directly over the cricket pitch, home to the Goodwood Cricket Club
Goodwood Cricket Club
Goodwood Cricket Club is a Sunday village cricket team that play during the summer in the grounds of Goodwood Park, near Chichester. The ground overlooks Goodwood House and is owned by the Duke of Richmond and Gordon....
.