Circulates throughout the world Established 1903

Birth of Brooklands

The Birth of Brooklands, which is due out shortly, was also the title of a very well received talk Roger gave recently to the Museum Trust.

Some new material, drawings and photographs, has shed interesting light on the generally accepted story of the track and also those that saw the project through what became a traumatic time. It seems that Weybridge was far from first choice for such a circuit; at least three seaside locations had already been considered.

The main problem was access for the essential paying spectators that made the venture possible. Hardly anyone owned a car in Edwardian times, therefore, any race track had to be close to a railway station. The Brooklands estate, bordered by the main line out of London Waterloo, had all the necessary qualities as well as the enthusiasm and finance of the Locke-Kings who owned it.

Among the new photos are images of the dramatic civil engineering involved in building the track through the harsh winter of 1906/07.