Alright, let me tell you about my trip out to Brooklands. I’d been meaning to go for ages, always heard bits and pieces about this old racing circuit, the first one ever, apparently. Sounded like my kind of thing, you know, history, engines, that sort of stuff.
So, I finally got a free day and decided, right, today’s the day. Got myself sorted and headed over there. Wasn’t too sure what to expect, really. You see pictures, but it’s never the same as being there.
Getting Eyes On The Place
First thing that strikes you when you get properly inside is the scale of what’s left. That massive concrete banking. It’s seriously impressive. Pictures just don’t show how steep that thing is. Standing at the bottom and looking up, you try to imagine cars hammering around that at speed. Crazy stuff.
I spent a good while just walking along the remaining bits of the track. It’s not all there, of course, factories and stuff got built over it, which is a bit of a shame, but they’ve kept some key sections. You can really feel the history soaking out of the concrete.
What I Got Up To
Spent a lot of time just wandering, soaking it in. Here’s a rough list of what I remember doing:
- Walked the track banking (well, the bits you can access).
- Checked out the old Clubhouse. Proper vintage feel inside.
- Looked around the sheds and garages. Lots of old cars, bikes, even some planes tucked away.
- Saw that massive Concorde they have there. You can even go inside it, which I did. Quite something to see up close.
- Nosed around the London Bus Museum bits they have on the same site. Wasn’t expecting that, bonus!
It’s not just about cars either. They’ve got a big focus on aviation too, which makes sense given the history of the place. Saw loads of aircraft stuff, inside hangars and dotted around. Gives you a proper sense of everything that went on there.
Honestly, just standing on the Finishing Straight, trying to picture the noise and the crowds back in the day… it’s quite an experience. It’s not polished like some museums, feels a bit more real, more gritty, which I liked. You get up close to everything.
So yeah, that was my day out. Really glad I finally made the effort. If you’re into old cars, planes, or just a bit of British history, it’s definitely worth seeing for yourself. Gives you a proper appreciation for those early days of speed.
