Hillclimbing in the British Isles
Encyclopedia
Hillclimbing
Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....
events staged in many other parts of the world, in that courses are generally short — mostly under one mile (1.6 km) in length — and this means that cars and drivers do not generally cross between British events and the longer hillclimbs found in many other parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
In Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, hillclimbing is considered a spectator sport, and the most prestigious events, such as those that form part of the British Hill Climb Championship
British Hill Climb Championship
The British Hill Climb Championship is the most prestigious Hillclimbing championship in Great Britain. Hillclimbing in the British Isles has a rich history and this event has been held every year since 1947.All British Champions have been British...
, often attract several thousand enthusiasts to the hills. All the courses in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
are situated on private land, but some events in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
are held on closed public roads. Track lengths are traditionally quoted in yards: the longest hillclimb course used in the British Championship is Harewood at 1583 yards (1447 m), and the shortest is Val des Terres at 850 yards (777 m).
A notable feature of British and Irish hillclimbing is the very wide variety of vehicles used for competition. Both cars and motorcycles (including sidecars) take part in the sport, and in the case of cars these range from almost standard machines (sometimes driven to and from the tracks) with the only modifications being those required on grounds of safety, right through to specially-built single-seater racing cars. Classic and vintage cars are also very popular in hillclimbing. Generally there are separate meetings for cars and bikes, but occasionally both appear at the same event.
There is a system of classes which groups cars into broadly similar categories. For example, the classes for "Racing Cars" (ie single-seaters) are divided into those for cars with engine capacities of under 600cc, 600-1100 cc, 1100-1600 cc, 1600-2000 cc and over 2000 cc. The cars in the unlimited capacity class often use engines from, or derived from, Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
cars, and occasionally F1 cars themselves have competed. Drivers entered for the British Hill Climb Championship may qualify for a "run-off" at the end of each set of class runs, and it is here that BHCC points are scored.
It is common for two drivers, often but not always related, to share the same car at a hillclimb. Such entries are known as "dual-driven" (or, occasionally, "double-driven") cars. Usually drivers considered the slower in such partnerships will make the climb first, before the bulk of the class for which they have been entered. This therefore allows their companions to make their ascent within the same time frame as the competitors, to ensure similar track conditions. Other than this, there is no special consideration for drivers in dual-driven cars, and both drivers count their results (and, if appropriate, score points) individually.
Hills used in the British Hill Climb Championship
- BarbonBarbon HillclimbBarbon Hillclimb is a hillclimb held near Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, north-west England. The event is held on the Barbon Manor estate with the course ordinarily being used as a driveway. The course is 890 yards in length, making it the shortest of the British Hill Climb Championship tracks outside...
, CumbriaCumbriaCumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
(course length 890 yd / 814 m) - Bouley BayBouley Bay Hill ClimbBouley Bay is a speed Hill Climb venue in Trinity, Jersey, organised by The Jersey Motor Cycle and Light Car Club. The course on Les Charrières du Boulay was "first used for competition in 1921" and since 1947 has hosted a round of the British Hill Climb Championship...
, JerseyJerseyJersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and... - CraigantletCraigantlet HillclimbCraigantlet Hillclimb, a speed event organised by the Ulster Automobile Club, was first held in 1913. It is the only such venue in Northern Ireland to host a round of the British Hill Climb Championship, which started in 1947....
, County DownCounty Down-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
(1460 yd / 1335 m) - DouneDoune HillclimbDoune Hillclimb, Carse of Cambus, near Doune in the district of Stirling, Scotland, is the home of the only round of the British Hill Climb Championship to be held in Scotland,...
, PerthshirePerthshirePerthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
(1476 yd / 1350 m) - Gurston DownGurston 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...
, WiltshireWiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
(1057 yd / 967 m) - HarewoodHarewood speed HillclimbHarewood speed Hillclimb is a hillclimb near the village of Harewood, West Yorkshire, England. The track can be found on the A659 between Harewood village and Collingham, north of Leeds...
, YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
(1583 yd / 1447 m) - Loton ParkLoton Park Hill ClimbLoton Park Hill Climb is a hillclimb held in part of the Loton Park deer park in Shropshire, England. The track was originally constructed by the members of The Severn Valley Motor Club based in Shrewsbury, in the mid 1950s. The first ever winner was Peter Foulkes in a Cooper Climax...
, ShropshireShropshireShropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
(1475 yd / 1349 m) - PrescottPrescott Speed HillclimbPrescott Speed Hill Climb is a hillclimb in Gloucestershire, England. The course used for most events is in length, and as of late 2007 the hill record was held by Scott Moran, who set a time of 36.35 seconds on 2 September 2007 for an average speed of . The track was extended in 1960 to form the...
, GloucestershireGloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
(1127 yd / 1031 m) - Shelsley WalshShelsley Walsh Speed Hill ClimbThe Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb is a hillclimb in Worcestershire, England, organised by the Midland Automobile Club . It is one of the oldest motorsport events in the world, and is in fact the oldest to have been staged continuously on its original course, first having been run in 1905...
, WorcestershireWorcestershireWorcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
(1000 yd / 914 m) - Val des TerresVal des Terres Hill ClimbThe Val des Terres Hill Climb is a hillclimbing competition held in St Peter Port, Guernsey. The course is 850 yards in length. The track has hosted a round of the British Hill Climb Championship....
, GuernseyGuernseyGuernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
(850 yd / 777 m) - Wiscombe ParkWiscombe Park HillclimbWiscombe Park Hillclimb is a British hillclimb, situated in Colyton, Devon. The course, which is 1000 yards in length — the same as Shelsley Walsh — was opened in 1958. The course was extended in 1961 when the record was held by Addicott in a Lotus at 49.3 secs...
, DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
(1000 yd / 914 m)
Non-championship hills
- Bo'ness Hill ClimbBo'ness Hill ClimbBo'ness Hill Climb is a hillclimbing course near Bo'ness, Scotland, sometimes referred to as Kinneil Hill Climb. In March 1947 Motor Sport reported: "Kinneil hill at Bo'ness will provide an 880-yard course, having been lengthened by 140 yds." The first round of the inaugural series of the British...
, former BHCCBritish Hill Climb ChampionshipThe British Hill Climb Championship is the most prestigious Hillclimbing championship in Great Britain. Hillclimbing in the British Isles has a rich history and this event has been held every year since 1947.All British Champions have been British...
venue. - Fintray HillclimbFintray hillclimbFintray House Hillclimb is a speed motorsport event held near Hatton of Fintray, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Each event is a separate round of the Scottish Hillclimb Championship. The venue is a working farm for the majority of the year but Grampian Automobile Club stage two, two-day events each...
, former BHCC venue. - Forrestburn HillclimbForrestburn HillclimbForrestburn Speed Hill Climb is a hillclimb track near Kirk o' Shotts in North Lanarkshire, central Scotland. The track opened in 1993, and was the first purpose-built hillclimb track in the United Kingdom to be completed since Brooklands in the 1930s...
, North LanarkshireNorth LanarkshireNorth Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire... - GoodwoodGoodwood 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...
Festival of SpeedGoodwood Festival of SpeedThe 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...
, SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
(1.16 miles / 1.86 km)
Defunct hills
- Firle Hill ClimbFirle Hill ClimbFirle Hill Climb is a defunct hillclimbing course near Lewes, East Sussex, England, sometimes referred to as Bo Peep Hill Climb."The event will consist of a timed climb of the metalled roadknown as Bo-Peep Hill, situated near the village of Selmeston, on...
- Great Auclum National Speed Hill ClimbGreat Auclum National Speed Hill ClimbGreat Auclum National Speed Hill Climb was a motorcar course close to Burghfield Common in the English county of Berkshire.It was based in the grounds of a large country house, formerly owned by a family connected to Huntley and Palmer - the famous biscuit manufacturers at nearby Reading, Berkshire...
, former BHCC venue. - Rest and Be Thankful Speed Hill ClimbRest and Be Thankful Speed Hill ClimbRest and Be Thankful Hill Climb is a defunct hillclimbing course in Glen Croe, Argyll, Scotland. The first known use of the road for a hillclimb was in 1906...
, former BHCC venue. - Westbrook Hay Hill ClimbWestbrook Hay Hill ClimbHerts County Automobile & Aero Club held the first Westbrook Hay speed hillclimb in 1953, and organised all events thereuntil the course closed in 1962. Between 1959 and 1962 the track hosted four rounds of the British Hill Climb Championship....
, former BHCC venue.
See also
- British Hill Climb ChampionshipBritish Hill Climb ChampionshipThe British Hill Climb Championship is the most prestigious Hillclimbing championship in Great Britain. Hillclimbing in the British Isles has a rich history and this event has been held every year since 1947.All British Champions have been British...
- 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...