Detour #98: Pendine Sands, Wales, UK
Malcolm Campbell at speed on Pendine Sands
British Land Speed Record history runs deep at Pendine Sands. It was here that Malcom Campbell broke the 150mph barrier, although visitors today may find they can’t drive quite as quickly.
Pendine Sands drifts into the delightful Caerfyddin Bay on the south coast of wales, an hour or so along from Swansea. The five-mile stretch may not be quite as impressive in length as Australia’s 75-mile Beach, but its place in the hearts of speed seekers is unrivalled.
It was Malcolm Campbell who first saw Pendine’s potential when he took his original Blue Bird to 146.16 mph on 25 September 1924. Soon the 150mph was passed and by April 1926 Wale’s own JG Parry-Thomas had topped 170mph in Babs. In 1927 Campbell fought back and raised the record to 174.22mph. Parry-Thomas tragically died chasing even higher speeds and the runs stopped until the end of the 20th century.
In 2000 Don Wales, Campbell’s grandson took to the sands again to set a electric car record of 137mph, while bike racer Guy Martin broke Britains’ bicycle speed record, and movie star Idris Elba broke the ‘flying mile’ record driving a Bentley Continental GT Speed in 2015. At the time of writing the fastest man on the sands is Zef Eisenberg who achieved 201.5 mph on a Suzuki Hayabusa in 2018 and then 201.332mph in a Porsche 911 a year later. Sadly Eisenberg died chasing even higher speeds in 2020 at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire.
Idris Elba’s record-breaking run Photo Bentley
A new Pendine Musuem of Speed is currently being built to pay homage to the pioneers of speed who risked their lives on the sand, until then it’s a lovely spot for seaside picnic or a snack from The Ferryman Deli.
Visitors to Pendine Sands can drive on the beach, but generally only to a car park, and only when the tide and weather permits. A good stretch of the coast is completely off-limits as it’s used by the military during the day, but is open at weekends. Oh, and the limit is just 10mph!
But don’t worry, the Sands are still open to speed freaks – you just have to take part in an organised event such as the Vintage Hot Rod Association’s annual races. Driving at speed on the sand can be a sketchy affair. Simply getting away from the start line is a fine balance between spinning the tyres and digging yourself into a hole or getting away too slowly. Even sticking to the more compacted surface closer to the water’s edge brings challenges including the risk of hitting damp patches and aquaplaning or finding subtle shifts in the sand kicking you off line. Even if you never approach record-breaking speeds its still an intense adrenaline hit that will stay with you forever. When the excitement subsides, don’t forget to give your car a thorough clean as sand, saltwater and steel are a recipe for something else that moves rapidly – rust.