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The Weylock Works - New Haw


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#1 Charles E Taylor

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 22:30

Gone

 

 

 

The Weylock Works at New Haw, home to Brabham and RALT has been demolished. 

 

 

Some really notable achievements came out of there!

 

 

 

Progress.......

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie



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#2 eldougo

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Posted 27 March 2015 - 00:28

Sad news indeed spent a few hours, days, weeks, there in the Rat days,and Snelgar Rd in Woking gone sometime ago.SAD.


Edited by eldougo, 27 March 2015 - 00:32.


#3 275 GTB-4

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Posted 27 March 2015 - 09:31

I have seen pictures of the Surbiton factory but don't recall ever seeing Weylock Works...was it a "modern" factory or rather basic?

Never good to see factories with character and history demolished, like Browns Lane and the Donald Healey Motor Company in the old Cinema in Warwick and the Service Station called Jensen Healey House which is also probably gone...

time March's on...

Edited by 275 GTB-4, 27 March 2015 - 09:32.


#4 Tim Murray

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Posted 27 March 2015 - 10:07

Googling for more info about the Weylock works, I stumbled across this fascinating memoir by the late Michael Scarlett, who worked there for a while in the early '60s before moving on and eventually becoming Technical Editor of Autocar magazine. Check out the link at the bottom of the article which takes you to some great photos, some of which were taken at the Weylock works:

http://www.acheritag...rabhamrace.html

(A similar but slightly different article appeared in Motor Sport in 2006 and is easily found via Google, but it doesn't have the link to the wonderful photos. )

Edited by Tim Murray, 27 March 2015 - 10:19.


#5 275 GTB-4

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Posted 27 March 2015 - 10:27

Googling for more info about the Weylock works, I stumbled across this fascinating memoir by the late Michael Scarlett, who worked there for a while in the early '60s before moving on and eventually becoming Technical Editor of Autocar magazine. Check out the link at the bottom of the article which takes you to some great photos, some of which were taken at the Weylock works:

http://www.acheritag...rabhamrace.html

(A similar but slightly different article appeared in Motor Sport in 2006 and is easily found via Google, but it doesn't have the link to the wonderful photos. )


Thanks Tim...nice little piece and some pictures...a great insight into the setting up of Brabham Racing Dev...but hard to get an impression of the overall look of the place...Cheers, Mick

#6 Supersox

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Posted 27 March 2015 - 12:13

The first time I went there-to visit the Lancia guy who was there Weylock Autos - outside in the yard was a bloke playing with  a radio controlled helicopter-no electrics then, this had a tiny i.c motor driving it and the radio control was the most basic .

Anyway I asked who was flying this thing-the like of which I had never seen, must have been more than thirty years ago and I was told '' Oh thats some bloke called Ayrton Senna''


Edited by Supersox, 27 March 2015 - 12:13.


#7 eldougo

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Posted 28 March 2015 - 23:27

Great find there TIM wonderful article by Michael Scarlett on life at New Haw.

 

The land was a long narrow section of land between the river and farming land, with the factory and office along that fence, a timber company at the far end. access only from Byfleet rd and a great pub across the canal (The White Hart.) Old brick building nothing modern about the old place.I remember when Ron bought  it for RALT cars he had an OZ chap clean it out and paint the floor and smarten it up a lot . 

Google Map  .... Byfleet Rd Newhaw Weybridge UK


Edited by eldougo, 28 March 2015 - 23:47.


#8 275 GTB-4

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Posted 29 March 2015 - 03:15

Great find there TIM wonderful article by Michael Scarlett on life at New Haw.
 
The land was a long narrow section of land between the river and farming land, with the factory and office along that fence, a timber company at the far end. access only from Byfleet rd and a great pub across the canal (The White Hart.) Old brick building nothing modern about the old place.I remember when Ron bought  it for RALT cars he had an OZ chap clean it out and paint the floor and smarten it up a lot . 
Google Map  .... Byfleet Rd Newhaw Weybridge UK


THANKS El-ka-Bong :-)

The pub is still there...but we need someone local to do recce on the Unit for rent, apply for a job at the plastics works or join the gymnastics(?) club to get more pics...

White%20Hart_zps6djpaqrs.jpg

Whit%20Hart%20across%20River_zpsz8lwomsz

White%20Hart%20across%20to%20Factories_z

#9 275 GTB-4

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Posted 29 March 2015 - 08:50

any Bus Drivers here? That looks like a bus company down the lane :)

 

[and can we get a blue plaque?]


Edited by 275 GTB-4, 29 March 2015 - 08:50.


#10 Gary C

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Posted 29 March 2015 - 16:29

I'll get some pics on Tues/Wed, when I take my aged mother out for a ride, on most days I drive right past the pub & on over the canal towards Brooklands on our Shepperton-Addlestone-Brooklands-Walton lap. (aisde; my PB is around 40 minutes, not bad for a standard Ford Focus. Now, if she could only get into my Boxster my times might improve!).

#11 BRG

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Posted 29 March 2015 - 21:15

I must take a look next week. I knew that Ralt were there  but I never knew which building it was.  I think there is still a firm that restores old Vauxhalls on that site as well as the buses and coaches and other activities.  IT's the sort of site that is likely to get snapped up by a developer and turned into flats..  



#12 275 GTB-4

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Posted 29 March 2015 - 21:36

Thanks, but sadly, there may not be much to see if they have "demolished" the building...maybe the local library or historical society?

Of course, pictures of old Vauxhalls will always be appreciated :)



#13 eldougo

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Posted 30 March 2015 - 04:14

In the good old RALT days  a young english chap Graham Fuller was a Jnr kart champ, and he brought it in one day for us to have a drive up and down the driveway 

and Ron T came out to see what was happening, and we told him to have a go .In jump Ron and off up the road however he forget that he put in speed humps

and boy did he get some air, however he keep it straight and slowly returned back to the office.Bloody funny.  :lol:



#14 Charles E Taylor

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Posted 30 March 2015 - 20:43

Weylock Works - Update

Not everything has gone, there is major re-development. Underway.

The old race team workshop has gone. The production workshop and the old office still stands and has become several small units. the site is undergoing a major tidy-up.

It is now impossible to see the buildings from the road and there is lots of new security fencing.

There is nothing left to reflect the acheivements of the racing past.

Sad really.


Charlie

#15 275 GTB-4

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Posted 30 March 2015 - 21:22

Thanks Charlie...yes sad indeed.



#16 enrico_melli

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Posted 01 September 2016 - 12:19

Weylock Works - Update

Not everything has gone, there is major re-development. Underway.

The old race team workshop has gone. The production workshop and the old office still stands and has become several small units. the site is undergoing a major tidy-up.

It is now impossible to see the buildings from the road and there is lots of new security fencing.

There is nothing left to reflect the acheivements of the racing past.

Sad really.


Charlie

I'm a little late for this conversation, sorry...

I went there a couple of weeks ago, I thought I could recognise the workshop (I was helped from a nice guy who works there). I took a few pictures and confronting them with the old ones that I found on the net I believed it was still intact, but after reading here I understand that there is a major part missing.

 

-Where was it exactly?

-Anyone having any old photos showing it? (THX)

-When did they move from there to their new Woking facilities? (I thought it was with Ecclestone in the early '70s but, as I just read here (https://www.goodwood...art-2-the-phew/), Paul Fearnley reports: "Brabham Racing Organisation, ... had relocated from its cramped New Haw HQ to Guildford towards the end of 1966" - I'm a bit confused)

 

BTW the way it looks like today can be seen here, thanks to Peter Windsor: http://1080.plus/Dri...58EhTr4O0.video

 

 

Thanks for the answers (and sorry for the English)

Enrico



#17 Cirrus

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Posted 01 September 2016 - 13:40

Motor Racing Developments was the company occupying Weylock Works. The Brabham Racing Organisation was Jack Brabham's company, set up to run the F1 cars which it purchased from MRD.



#18 Terry Walker

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Posted 13 September 2016 - 13:15

Google Maps space view or whatever they call it, shows the area clearly, no sign of demolition, but the photo may be from much earlier. There's a circus big top nearby! Those who know the site should look quick, and grab a copy quick,  before the images are updated.  I can see why they called it Weylock.



#19 eldougo

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Posted 14 September 2016 - 06:07

The Weybourne Gym is the old factory,with Ron office to the left which is covered by a tree, the old shed across the driveway towards the river was the body store etc,and that white roof building is new it was the carpark before. And as you can see it was a short walk to the White Hart for a "Ploughmans"  and a pint of bitter for lunch.In the river you find a few parts that did not meet Roy Billington standards. Out of sight out of mind as in the old saying. A few alloy Boomerangs were tested out across the field bottom of the photo.

 

 

IMG_0008_zpsggybieed.jpg