Detour Pit Stop #45: Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb, UK
While Indianapolis, Le Mans and Monza are frequently cited as some of the most historically important motor racing destinations in the world, none of them have been around as long as Shelsley Walsh.
Situated between the picturesque villages of Martley and Stanford Bridge in the rolling hills of Worcestershire, this twisting hillclimb circuit is the oldest motorsport venue in the world still to run events on its original course. Starting way back in 1905, timed races have been staged continuously every year – barring wartime – with the venue itself changing little since its early days.
Negotiating Shelsley Walsh’s hill, which is steeper than one in seven for part of its length, is definitely not for the faint of heart. Due to the track’s vertiginous nature, horsepower is key to getting good times. And combining big power with Shelsley’s fiendishly narrow route – at some points it’s no more than 12 feet wide – has resulted in some spectacular accidents over the years, with cars leaving the road and dropping 40 feet down the inside bank. Thankfully, no fatal incidents have ever occurred.
Shelsley Walsh hosts a number of races and Trophy meetings throughout the year, with Members’ Day events allowing you to drive your own road-legal car up the hill. However, if you’d rather just watch the proceedings there’s a path on the left of the course leading to low wooden benches from where you can take in the action. It’s all a far cry from the early days, when spectators could walk up the track while climbs were in progress, with just a bell being rung by a policeman to inform them that a plucky chap in an Austro-Daimler was speeding their way. And while those days may be gone, that spirit of ‘derring-do’ is still very much in the air at Shelsley Walsh. For a motorsport-based afternoon in the verdant English countryside, we can’t think of anywhere better.
Words Luke Ponsford
On the 17th and 18th July Shelsley Walsh will be hosting – COVID notwithstanding – the Classic Nostalgia event, which is set to feature a celebration of rally legends (including a tribute to the late, great Richard Burns), the Classic & Sports Car Concours d’Elegance, as well as lots of thrilling hill climb action. Book tickets at www.classicnostalgia.co.uk
