29 replies to this topic

[Michael Oliver]

I am going to be visiting Rye in Sussex for a weekend away and it occurred to me that both Eagle/All American Racers and Weslake had their bases in the town and that it might be interesting from an industrial archaelogoy point of view to see if they still survive.

Does anyone know an address or location for either in Rye, so I can go and investigate?

Michael

[BRG]

I beleive that the Weslake premises were redeveloped as the Weslake Industrial Park (Harbour Road, Rye) so probably nothing left to see?

[Michael Oliver]

I am going to be visiting Rye in Sussex for a weekend away and it occurred to me that both Eagle/All American Racers and Weslake had their bases in the town and that it might be interesting from an industrial archaelogoy point of view to see if they still survive.

Does anyone know an address or location for either in Rye, so I can go and investigate?

Michael

OK, to partly answer my question, a bit of Googling reveals that both companies appear to have been in Harbour Road, Rye, but if anyone has an exact address eg post code, that would be great as Harbour Road looks to be quite a long road!

Michael

[Catalina Park]

From googling I think it might be here... Weslake Industrial Park

But I could really be wrong!

[Michael Oliver]

I beleive that the Weslake premises were redeveloped as the Weslake Industrial Park (Harbour Road, Rye) so probably nothing left to see?

Ah, thanks BRG! Do you know if the AAR premises were within the Weslake site or separate?

Michael

[BRG]

Sorry, I don't know about AAR - perhaps others can help?

But looking at the Weslake Industrial Park on Google street view (tks Catalina), I wonder if the white building at the front is in fact original after all? It certainly looks much older than 1983 when the site was apparently redeveloped. Has anyone got a period picture of Weslake's?

[Barry Boor]

Not adding anything substantial but in 1970 my fiancee and I walked the length of Harbour Road looking for 'Dan's Place'. As you say, Mike, it is a very long road and we never found anything.

[sterling49]

Hi Michael, I know the area well, the site is there but is now an Industrial Park adorned by Weslake name in big blue sign. I will try and post a photo later today, but meanwhile have tagged one on your facebook wall. I think back when you visited Barry, it would have still have been there, as this is a new development, as you say, it is a long road, and a lovely nature walk when you walk down to the sea, bracing in this weather though, unlike the weather you will be enjoying !

[Barry Boor]

Contrary to popular perception, it's pretty chilly here, too, Sterling.

I think my ex just got fed up with the walk and maybe we didn't go far enough.

[bradbury west]

Looking round for details of the Rye address I came across this; all good nostalgia.
http://www.allameric...e_f1-photo.html
Roger Lund

edit
and a link to some information on the Weslake family.
http://www.exetermem...ple/weslake.php
RL

Edited by bradbury west, 14 January 2012 - 14:48.

[Bloggsworth]

Rye is also where the first Nomad was built.

[Sharman]

There were also Ryetune and Elva.

[sterling49]

This is the site of the company that made Dan's winning engines, Len Terry had some great stories to recall at dinner during the Lotus Film Festival that Michael and gary organised in Oxford a few years ago.

[fuzzi]

As an aside, I learned a couple of days ago that Rod Chapman operates Rye Harbour (and supplies ballast to the Kent and East Sussex Railway).

[D-Type]

Nobody has stated the obvious. Weslake Park is on the road from Rye to Rye Harbour. Out of Rye towards Hastings, over the River Rother first left.

[Barry Boor]

Pardon, Duncan. Pardon, Duncan.

[eolith]

Pardon, Duncan. Pardon, Duncan.

I visited Weslakes in late 1968 and bought a 1923 Bentley 3 litre ,and a Bentley Standard six plus a spare engine from Daniels who was in charge at the time.for £1580 the lot.They were a bit hard up at the time as there were lumps of power boat engine everywhere belonging to a certain Mr Savundra who never paid for them.Dont remember the address.

[D-Type]

Not adding anything substantial but in 1970 my fiancee and I walked the length of Harbour Road looking for 'Dan's Place'. As you say, Mike, it is a very long road and we never found anything.

Nobody has stated the obvious. Weslake Park is on the road from Rye to Rye Harbour. Out of Rye towards Hastings, over the River Rother first left.

Pardon, Duncan. Pardon, Duncan.

OK, OK, it may be bleeding obvious that Harbour Road leads to Rye Harbour, but the signs saying to "Rye Harbour" are far more visible than the sign saying the road is named "Harbour Road".
With a satnav you would need to put in "Rye Harbour" or "Harbour Road, Rye, Sussex"! And mine will then ask for a house number and I'd then have to put in a random number like "10". But still easier than relying on a passenger with a road atlas!

[JB Miltonian]

In answer to the question in post #5, the article in Road & Track, June 1966, detailing the Eagle Formula One Engine, says:

"He (Weslake) progressed to his own works near Rye Harbour, Sussex, where he can now take pride in a 12-year-old flower garden in front of the offices.....separate accomodation on the same site has been built for the Anglo American Racers team, where F1 team manager Bill Dunne expects to have a permanent staff of ten, with comfortable offices and ample workshop space for routine maintenance and repair of the four Eagle GP cars being built this year."

The Eagle chassis was being built in California, so the Rye facility was apparently used as a European "base of operation" for the GP cars. I couldn't find an actual address.

Edited by JB Miltonian, 14 January 2012 - 21:51.

[arttidesco]

The Eagle chassis was being built in California, so the Rye facility was apparently used as a European "base of operation" for the GP cars. I couldn't find an actual address.

AAR US and UK addresses were published by Dan himself in Popular Mechanics March 1967 page 24

[xj13v12]

AAR US and UK addresses were published by Dan himself in Popular Mechanics March 1967 page 24;)

I think that AAR in England was ANGLO American Racers and it became ALL American when they set up in California.

Is Len Terry still around? If so I would be interested in contacting him re some of the Eagle design work. Any clues?

[Thundersports]

As an aside, I learned a couple of days ago that Rod Chapman operates Rye Harbour (and supplies ballast to the Kent and East Sussex Railway).

Correct it is indeed a long road there is nothing to see. Have a wander round Rye itself it is a lovely place and if you fancy lunch and a beach walk I recommend the Smugglers at Pett level the beach and scenary are very nice. The railway journey from Tenterden to Bodiam is rather good to and has a Motor sport connection as there used to be a Hillclimb at Bodiam.

Edited by Thundersport, 15 January 2012 - 00:57.

[sterling49]

The Bodiam Hillclimb used to be a great event, scene of many a camping week-end "Carry On " style !

[PJGD]

I worked at Weslake for a few months in early 1975. I worked for Lucas-CAV and we were renting dynomometer time from Weslake and my job was to monitor the tests on a miserable Vauxhall (Bedford) diesel engine..

I believe that the earlier post with the link to the Weslake Industrial Park is the correct location. I recall entering in through the front door in the brick section. The dynomometers were in the corrugated roof "sheds" to the left, and the design drawing office was in the area to the right. The whole place was quite shabby at that time with not a lot going on except some work on the motorcycle speedway engine. As a cutting edge engineering facility, it better days were well behind it. I think that Mike Daniels showed up on occasion (Mike used to work for CAV previously).

There is still some low-level engineering work going on under the Weslake name in the general area: http://www.weslake.ezeedsl.co.uk/air/

PJGD

[sterling49]

The map location map that Catalina Park provided the link for, is the correct location, it is now a factory to convert used cooking oils into bio diesel, I used to visit often. You can even see the staining on the concrete where some overspill has taken place. The blue sign that I posted photgraph of, is at the gated entrance of the estate.

Edited by sterling49, 16 January 2012 - 08:27.

[elansprint72]

At the time of his death Harry Weslake lived at Marylands on Point Hill in Rye.

[BRG]

So to revert to Michael Oliver's original question, it seems that there is something to see - the white painted, tin roofed single story building nearest the road is part of the original Weslake premises. Although having seen it on Street View, it probably isn't worth a special trip. But Rye is a lovely old town and well worth visiting in its own right.

[elansprint72]

All American Racers was set up in 1964, Anglo American Racers in 1965 and the UK operation reverted to All American when the split between Weslake and Gurney occured in 1968.
Originally the Gurney Eagle operation was housed in an extension to the Rye Weslake factory but this could not contain it and premises were built at Ashford about 15 miles away.

Suggested reading: Lucky All My Life, the biography of Harry Weslake, written by Jeff Clew; one of the best motoring books I have ever read! What this man achieved, in diverse fields was unbelievable. Karl Ludvigsen's book Gurney's Eagles is also a good read.

Edited by elansprint72, 16 January 2012 - 12:33.

[Michael Oliver]

I'd just like to thank everyone for their enthusiastic and varied contributions, I really wasn't expecting 28 replies!

I did manage to get to the Weslake Industrial Estate in Harbour Road and took a photo very similar to Sterling's one and then another of what looked to me like a 1960s building at the front of the site, which sounds as if it could have been the Eagle site. I will try and post it up once I've downloaded my photos.

Incidentally, I was very impressed with Rye, it has some very nice eateries and not too difficult to get to if you live in London...a bit further if, like me, you live to the west of Oxford!

[Rupertlt1]

I'd just like to thank everyone for their enthusiastic and varied contributions, I really wasn't expecting 28 replies!

I did manage to get to the Weslake Industrial Estate in Harbour Road and took a photo very similar to Sterling's one and then another of what looked to me like a 1960s building at the front of the site, which sounds as if it could have been the Eagle site. I will try and post it up once I've downloaded my photos.

Incidentally, I was very impressed with Rye, it has some very nice eateries and not too difficult to get to if you live in London...a bit further if, like me, you live to the west of Oxford!

No mention of Nerus? Tuning parts for minis, Nerus Silhouette F100 (Cedic Selzer?) etc.
Rye was quite the motor racing cluster at one time before it all went pear-shaped. Eagle moved to Ashford. Weslake were ultimately unsuccessful in F1, later known for speedway motorbike engines. Elva exited the business as Frank Nichols teamed up with Len Terry (Shelby Can-Am) etc. A footnote was the Scorpion FJ, made by Elva, but called Scorpion to get around difficulties with their U.S. distributor.