8 replies to this topic

[Megatron]

I found this odd tidbit about the Brooklands track from a search engine leading to a "sitings" site.

The famous old race-track at Brooklands in Surrey is believed to be haunted by a phantom driver, dressed in full racing gear including goggles and a leather helmet.

Sounds of an old racing car hurtling round the track have also been heard by workers in the factory which now stands on what used to be the Railway Straight.

The ghostly driver is thought to be either the man who was first killed on the track, or Percy Lambert who was killed at the end of the Railway Straight.

Now lets get one thing straight, I don't believe in ghosts but I would like additional information on the Brooklands track and anyone who "might" be haunting it.

[VAR1016]

Originally posted by Megatron
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The ghostly driver is thought to be either the man who was first killed on the track, or Percy Lambert who was killed at the end of the Railway Straight.

[/B]

I came across Percy Lambert's grave by accident whilst taking photographs in Brompton Cemetary in London some years ago.

On his gravestone is recorded his claim to fame, in that in 1912, he was the first man to drive 100 miles in one hour. This was achieved at Brooklands in a Talbot.

PdeRL

[Aubwi]

Sounds like a pretty good afterlife to me.

[Megatron]

Originally posted by Aubwi
Sounds like a pretty good afterlife to me.

I don't know. The story intrigued me enough to run a search on Percy himself and while most of the sites talked about his accomplishments and his tragic death at the track, one site did address the "ghosts".

Having included the haunting of this well-known but now overgrown and semi-derelict racetrack in 'Our Haunted Kingdom', I was delighted to learn some five years later that a phantom figure and a ghostly atmosphere still frequents part of the circuit. Confirmation was received in 1979 from an engineer, Mr. Henry Geary, who edits the 'Brookland Society Gazette'. He told me that after an article had appeared featuring the haunting, a number of people had emphasised the strength of evidence by providing details of their own experiences over the last few years. Centre of the haunted area used to be a large shed known as 'The Vatican'which once housed a Talbot race car owned by the renowned Percy Lambert. During an attempt on the world speed record in the 1920's, a tyre of the vehicle burst throwing Lambert and his machine towards the massive assembly works, killing the driver and wrecking the car. John Wall, a member of the committee of the Brooklands Society confirms that the outer door of the main gate office frequently opens of its own accord, a 'Swirling blackness and the horrendous sound of crashing and splintering was heard by a warden when near the club house', and a phantom motor cyclist has been seen, and heard, near a building on the Railway Straight several times.

One young boy living near the Byfleet Banking saw, 'The figure of a man staggering around with his head half hanging off', and was so severely shocked that he had to be given medical treatment. It was in this area that Captain Toop crashed in Brocklebank`s Peugeot many years ago. In explicable footsteps have also been heard in front of the old fire station.

I would also like to say that I am suprised that there aren't more of these type stories running around. Hollywood and the White House are full of "ghosts" according to reports and I believe they are also quite popular in the UK. I still don't believe in ghosts, but the story is worth remembering, because I never knew of Percy before running across the "ghost" story.

Perhaps if he is still around, that is exactly why.

[Eric McLoughlin]

I'm going to a wedding reception at Brooklands this Saturday. If I spot any ghostly goings on I'll let you know. It all depends on the quantity of alcohol taken I'm sure. If anyone spots some weird looking figure staggering around in an odd fashion near to midnight, it'll probably be me.

[HistoricMustang]

My apology for using the Brooklands "haunted" thread but did not want to start another on same subject.

One of the reasons I recently put up the "pre race tragedy" subject for discussion is because of stories beginning to surface at the local circuit about "sightings" at the former track in the area known as "cemetery turn" (turn one). When we discovered that the parachute accident occured a little south of that area and that there is an actual family cemetery just outside of turn one, then things begin to come together for those that are believers.

Red arrow are the lakes mentioned in newspaper article and yellow arrow is cemetery turn.

Henry

[Paul Taylor]

Originally posted by buldoggrrrr
Funny you mention the eerie feeling in the rooms off the access tunnel. The current edition of the Brooklands society gazette mentions a recent story of a young lad who ventured into one of the rooms only to be confronted by a ghostly figure fixing a wheel. Apparently he didn't tell his parents for days in case they thought he was telling a porky. Anyone else know of any Brooklands ghost stories??

Andrew
www.brooklandsthemovie.co.uk

(Quoted from the thread in my signature!)

I ventured into this tunnel, with a video camera, for a brief moment. I ran out after only a few minutes! Yes, I do believe in ghosts. I do feel like posting that video camera footage for those who are interested

I also have a picture of that tunnel somewhere, which I took in 2001.

[f1steveuk]

I got into racing at the age of 9 (karting) and when I was 14, I was taken to Brooklands, and sneaked in by a friend of my uncles (it was then Ministry of Defence land). This was in the days before most of the buildings had been demolished. The mortuary was very very spooky, still with a stained marble slab! The guy who showed me around (he was a caretaker there) told me of Lambert, an that they were supposed to have found his goggles on the track, with the driver eyes in them (!!), but he said it was rubbish, he was there with his dad that day. He did pin point the accident as behind the members banking on the approach to the bridge and the "pit" exit, going clockwise (he was very precise) we stood there, and there was the wierdest feeling something was coming up behind you! I have to say I thought the car was a single seat Talbot, which would make the tale of the mechanic a bit difficult. His grave is marked by a broken wheel I believe. I think it was De Resta that parked in the sewage farm (don't know if it was fatally), but those at Brooklands then (1974) all thought it was haunted by 'Pearly' Lambert. Asan aside, deep in the under growth was a concete model of a dam whih Barnes Wallis used to bounce marbles at while designing the bouncing bomb!!

[Mark Bennett]

Brooklands does a "Torchlight Tour" some evenings during the winter months. This focusses heavily on the Haunted Ghostly Ghoulie things that are purported to have happened at the track.

Well worth booking to go on one if you are in the area.