7 replies to this topic

[Stephen W]

Just thumbing through some old copies of Motoring News as one does when at a loose end and I spotted a report on a hillclimb at Tern Hill in Shropshire. It sounded pretty good being 2000 yards long with a BTD of over 90 seconds. The event was organised by the Severn Valley Motor Club.

So what ever happened to this venue?

[RS2000]

Tern Hill is an airfield. Probably dates from WW2 but more recently was a relief landing ground for RAF Shawbury's helicopter training (now closed?). Pretty sure was transferred to Army and there was a security alert there a couple of years ago over intruders. Also hangars may be a grain store (EU intervention store for the overproduction that has impregnated our fields and polluted our rivers with nitrates and pesticides) but I may be thinking of another nearby airfield.
Working on the basis that most airfields are not near suitable hillclimb territory, chances are they meant a sprint (and I have a vague recollection of reading of a sprint there)?

[David Beard]

Used to be a kart circuit (in the 70s at least)

[CLR]

I live a few miles from Tern Hill
Once the base from which Chapman flew Harvards.

As its pretty flat, as you would expect from an airbase, I presume it was a sprint rather than a hill climb.
Shawbury is still open and used for helicoptor training.
Tern Hill is now an army base but the runways are still there.
Good place for a Lotus sprint perhaps ??
Kevin

[Rob29]

Originally posted by CLR


As its pretty flat, as you would expect from an airbase, I presume it was a sprint rather than a hill climb.

I recall going to a hill climb at Stapleford airfield in Essex around 1961.I think there was a slight gradient on one of the taxiways! Is there any rule as to hight of climb? I think the next one I went to was the Goodwood FOS which is of course also close to the airfield.

[RS2000]

Had a feeling Stapleford would get a mention! Definition of a hill climb is very vague. Some sprints have had quite steep climbs - part of the late lamented Bovington was once descibed as a mini Eau Rouge.

[Stephen W]

Originally posted by RS2000
Had a feeling Stapleford would get a mention! Definition of a hill climb is very vague. Some sprints have had quite steep climbs - part of the late lamented Bovington was once descibed as a mini Eau Rouge.

Cadwell Park has been used for both Hillclimbs and Sprints in the past. There is now a definition as to what constitutes a Hillclimb (everything else in speed eventing being a sprint); it has to do with the distance of the course and the height climbed. I will try to dig out the definition!

[bradbury west]

Rob 29 and RS 2000; Stapleford

On the extract from a 1964 programme which I have to hand, the length is shown as 1200 yaerds, and the average gradient as 1 in 12, so it was even less of a climb than the old Castle Howard, (for which read Brideshead as in re-visited.) I suspect

A short straight for the start, then a 90degreee left/right Esses followed by a right sweep into a long left corner.

The ftds listed in the programme read interestingly;

1955 Paul Emery; Emeryson 45.87 secs
1956 A F Rivers Fletcher; Cooper JAP 48.44secs (Never know how to name him)
1957 Bill Moss; ERA 46.59secs
1958 Miss Patsy Burt; f2 Cooper Climax 46.01 secs
1959 David Good; Cooper JAP 46.79secs
1960 Phil Scragg; Lister Jaguar 48.2secs
1961 Arthur Owen; Cooper Climax 44.55secs, course record

I have no details of results for 1964 other than for the car/class in which I am interested for another reason. The 64 event was organised by the West Essex Car Club, as were presumably the rest.

Roger Lund