20 replies to this topic

[ashp]

Can one of you very smart and intelligent people out there please put my mind to rest and tell me how Druids got its name

[LittleChris]

Ashp

It's actually Druids Hill corner at Brands Hatch as opposed to Druids corner at Oulton Park ? Sorry don't know the answer though.

[Barry Boor]

Not a Druids answer but relevant to the Brands thread, here is the new Westfield Bend.



Picture from the Atlas/Autosport website.

[Andrew Fellowes]

3 days and answer came there none. Well well.

All I can find is this;

"Car racing on tarmac began at the circuit on 16 April 1950, with 500cc Formula 3 single-seaters racing anticlockwise round the one-mile kidney shaped oval, which later became the Indy Circuit. The first victory at Brands Hatch went to Don Parker whose JAP engines Parker Special easily one the 10-lap event for amateur-built cars. Two months later a young driver named Stirling Moss won all five races that he started and set a new lap record.
No Spin
The following year, in order to stop reckless driving, the Half-Litre Club, which later became the British Racing and Sports Car Club, devised a "no spin" rule for the meeting held that September. It led to automatic disqualification of anyone who spun more than 180 degrees or completely left the track. One of the first to suffer under this rule was Bernie Ecclestone, the power behind today's Formula 1 racing.
Improvements
The Druids loop was added in 1953 and then the Bottom Bend, which extended the circuit to 1.24 miles. Raised spectator banks earned Brands Hatch the title of the safest of all circuits."


Bernie, Spin?

[LittleChris]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
Not a Druids answer but relevant to the Brands thread, here is the new Westfield Bend.



Picture from the Atlas/Autosport website.

Not actually that much different from each version introduced since Cecottos British GP practice shunt in 1984 is it ? !?!

[Ronaldo]

Can only be added to the list of don't knows but the answer may well be unknown. Back in the late seventies I asked Brands authority Ken Philips, one time chief marshall who competed there in its motorcycle grass track days, the same question and also one about Pilgrims but he didn't know either.

Whilst on the subject, the track evolved on the fields of BARNS HATCH farm. I assume the circuit has its origins in this name. Anyone know when or why it changed to Brands.

[Andrew Fellowes]

Originally posted by Ronaldo
the track evolved on the fields of BARNS HATCH farm. I assume the circuit has its origins in this name. Anyone know when or why it changed to Brands.

Just Brands now? Is that right, how odd.

I have been trying to find a Brands Hatch Farm map that might give field names. Local historical society or the County records office would be a start but I'm a tad too far away. There again both Druids & Pilgrims are not very likely field names.

[Paul Rochdale]

Pilgrims Bend may have got it's name from the nearby Pilgrims Way ancient footpath.

[Gary C]

'Just Brands now? Is that right, how odd.'
Surely, the official name is STILL Brands Hatch ??

[KJJ]

Originally posted by Ronaldo
.
Whilst on the subject, the track evolved on the fields of BARNS HATCH farm. I assume the circuit has its origins in this name. Anyone know when or why it changed to Brands.

Brandshatch Farm was advertised for sale in the Times newspaper on a number of occasions in the Nineteenth Century, the earliest I can find being May 31st 1830. Seven hundred and sixty acres in the parishes of Farningham, Kingsdown and Fawkham.

[philippe7]

The story I've always taken for granted ( don't ask me where or when I first read it....) is that Druids Hill used to be a place where the celtic priests ( the Druids ) in pre-roman times used to hold their celebrations, under the big oak tree which stands in the middle of the corner .....

But I doubt the tree in question could still be the original one ( 2000 years old ? mmmhhh......)

Isn't there a stone celtic monument around there ? ( a "menhir" or a "dolmen" ? )

[ensign14]

"Druids" is not uncommon as a place name - there is a Druids Heath near me. Not unlikely that people of the past associated the area with Druidism, anywhere with trees would do.

[ashp]

I can help with the Barns being known as Brands and Pilgrims and should know why Druids is called Druids as it was all explained to me many years ago by an old freind who has sadly passed away, but I can not remember the Druids story, shame on me. Apparently Barns to Brands is simply a case that someone did not understand the local accent and when was told the meeting would be at BarnsHatch Farm understood Brands Hatch and had the posters made as such, and rather than or rather not being able to get things changed left them as such and the track there after became known as Brands Hatch. Pilgrims is indeed becuase of the Pilgrims Way.

[David McKinney]

...which doesn't tie in with Post 10

[ensign14]

Originally posted by KJJ
Seven hundred and sixty acres in the parishes of Farningham, Kingsdown and Fawkham.

The latter being the inspiration for the business motto of a certain B C Ecclestone?

[Macca]

I have this vision of Druids having been named after someone saw a coven of naked witches dancing in the woods...................





Paul M

[RTH]

The practice of Witchcraft was very common in the home counties as recently as 150 years ago. It apparently was rife not a mile from where I am sitting ( I'm 40 miles north of the centre of London ).........although I think the naked bit really was an old wives tale !

[Andrew Fellowes]

I miss-read Ronaldo’s post on Barns/Brands, apologies, -(sharpen up Andrew)

May I ask when was the farm called Barns Hatch? Certainly from 1731 it has been called Brands according to the West Kingsdown Community Pages.

1731 The family of Thomas Farrant occupied
Brands Hatch farm for over 75 years.

1743 Little Brands Hatch was a small farm
and house dating from at least 1722.
Tenant James Brand built a timber, thatched cottage,
which was later occupied by 4 families, at one time
including a beer house called The Woodman.
(Destroyed by a flying bomb in 1944 and replaced by
Council Houses called Woodman Villas).

[Ronaldo]

Andrew, our surveying dept at work has two maps (one Bartholomews) that reference Barns Hatch Farm; I will go along and find them. Also kindly look at:

www.old-maps.co.uk

grid ref:558314, 164692

The site of Barnshatch is now a hotel.

[Keir]

Being a Neo-Druid myself, why not call a great corner after a great group of folks ???

[KJJ]

Originally posted by Ronaldo
Andrew, our surveying dept at work has two maps (one Bartholomews) that reference Barns Hatch Farm; I will go along and find them. Also kindly look at:

www.old-maps.co.uk

grid ref:558314, 164692

The site of Barnshatch is now a hotel.

Thanks for highlighting this useful site.

It's a fact though that the name Brandshatch or Brands Hatch was in use long before anyone ever thought of racing a motor cycle around a field in Kent. The name appears in a number of Nineteenth Century notices of sales in the Times newspaper while Barnshatch never does. Brandshatch is also the form used in the 1881 Census and, seemingly, on the 1905/06 6 inch OS Map.

There are plenty of examples of the Ordnance survey getting names wrong and of course the mistake is then copied by other mapmakers.