

FOS Favourite Mad Mike Whiddett can be caught melting tyres in his incredible collection of cars (and trucks) up the hillclimb


Sir Stirling Moss was one of the founding patrons of the Festival of Speed, and a regular competitor at the Revival.




The first ever horsebox was used from Goodwood to Doncaster for the 1836 St. Leger. Elis arrived fresh and easily won his owner a £12k bet.




The first ever horsebox was used from Goodwood to Doncaster for the 1836 St. Leger. Elis arrived fresh and easily won his owner a £12k bet.




...plan strategy in an ancient woodland, enjoy award-winning dining then drive around a racetrack?




The Motor Circuit was known as RAF Westhampnett, active from 1940 to 1946 as a Battle of Britain station.



David Edney, head Butler dons a morning suit "and a smile" every day and has been woking at Goodwood for over 25 years!









As the private clubhouse for all of the Estate’s sporting and social members, it offers personal service and a relaxed atmosphere


A 20m woodland rue, from Halnaker to Lavant, was planted by our forestry teams & volunteers, featuring native species like oak, beech, & hornbeam






A bell under each place at the table to signal if butlers can come back in to the dining room, a guests privacy is always paramount.


Our gin uses wild-grown botanicals sourced from the estate, and is distilled with mineral water naturally chalk-filtered through the South Downs.


From 2005 to present there has been a demonstration area for the rally cars at the top of the hill


Spectate from the chicane at the Revival to see plenty of classic cars going sideways as they exit this infamous point of our Motor Circuit.


Our replica of the famous motor show showcases the "cars of the future" in true Revival style




We have been host to many incredible film crews using Goodwood as a backdrop for shows like Downton Abbey, Hollywood Blockbusters like Venom: let there be Carnage and the Man from U.N.C.L.E.


Spectate from the chicane at the Revival to see plenty of classic cars going sideways as they exit this infamous point of our Motor Circuit.




King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.


Leading women of business, sport, fashion and media, take part in one of the most exciting horseracing events in the world.


The first public race meeting took place in 1802 and, through the nineteenth century, ‘Glorious Goodwood,’ as the press named it, became a highlight of the summer season










Leading women of business, sport, fashion and media, take part in one of the most exciting horseracing events in the world.


Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill


The red & yellow of the Racecourse can be traced back hundreds of years, even captured in our stunning Stubbs paintings in the Goodwood Collection


The first public race meeting took place in 1802 and, through the nineteenth century, ‘Glorious Goodwood,’ as the press named it, became a highlight of the summer season


The Motor Circuit was known as RAF Westhampnett, active from 1940 to 1946 as a Battle of Britain station.


The iconic spitfire covered almost 43,000 kilometres and visited over 20 countries on its epic journey and currently resides at our Aerodrome.


One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.


Flying training began at Goodwood in 1940 when pilots were taught operational flying techniques in Hurricanes and Spitfires.


Built in 1787 by celebrated architect James Wyatt to house the third Duke of Richmond’s prized fox hounds, The Kennels was known as one of the most luxurious dog houses in the world!






...plan strategy in an ancient woodland, enjoy award-winning dining then drive around a racetrack?


The first ever round of golf played at Goodwood was in 1914 when the 6th Duke of Richmond opened the course on the Downs above Goodwood House.


The first ever round of golf played at Goodwood was in 1914 when the 6th Duke of Richmond opened the course on the Downs above Goodwood House.


The first ever round of golf played at Goodwood was in 1914 when the 6th Duke of Richmond opened the course on the Downs above Goodwood House.


The first ever round of golf played at Goodwood was in 1914 when the 6th Duke of Richmond opened the course on the Downs above Goodwood House.


The famous fighter ace, who flew his last sortie from Goodwood Aerodrome, formerly RAF Westhampnett has a statue in his honor within the airfield.


The iconic spitfire covered almost 43,000 kilometres and visited over 20 countries on its epic journey and currently resides at our Aerodrome.



The iconic spitfire covered almost 43,000 kilometres and visited over 20 countries on its epic journey and currently resides at our Aerodrome.


...plan strategy in an ancient woodland, enjoy award-winning dining then drive around a racetrack?


...plan strategy in an ancient woodland, enjoy award-winning dining then drive around a racetrack?



...plan strategy in an ancient woodland, enjoy award-winning dining then drive around a racetrack?



...plan strategy in an ancient woodland, enjoy award-winning dining then drive around a racetrack?


Testament to the 19th-century fascination with ancient Egypt and decorative opulence. The room is richly detailed with gilded cartouches, sphinxes, birds and crocodiles.









King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.




The Motor Circuit was known as RAF Westhampnett, active from 1940 to 1946 as a Battle of Britain station.






The Motor Circuit was known as RAF Westhampnett, active from 1940 to 1946 as a Battle of Britain station.





We have been host to many incredible film crews using Goodwood as a backdrop for shows like Downton Abbey, Hollywood Blockbusters like Venom: let there be Carnage and the Man from U.N.C.L.E.


Our gin uses wild-grown botanicals sourced from the estate, and is distilled with mineral water naturally chalk-filtered through the South Downs.


The famous fighter ace, who flew his last sortie from Goodwood Aerodrome, formerly RAF Westhampnett has a statue in his honor within the airfield.


Testament to the 19th-century fascination with ancient Egypt and decorative opulence. The room is richly detailed with gilded cartouches, sphinxes, birds and crocodiles.


The Motor Circuit was known as RAF Westhampnett, active from 1940 to 1946 as a Battle of Britain station.


The iconic spitfire covered almost 43,000 kilometres and visited over 20 countries on its epic journey and currently resides at our Aerodrome.


Inspired by the legendary racer, Masten Gregory, who famously leapt from the cockpit of his car before impact when approaching Woodcote Corner in 1959.
Nothing announces the arrival of springtime more eloquently than a host of daffodils. Yet in many ways, this much-loved and familiar flower remains mysterious
Words by Helen O'Neill
Magazine

Goodwood’s daffodils are a secret blend of bulbs from Holland, comprising early-, mid- and late-flowering varieties. They are planted each year to ensure that the motor circuit is surrounded by a triumphant crop of these bright spring blooms, ready for Members’ Meeting in March. Every October, supplier Michael Lubbe visits the Estate with his sons to plant the bulbs using a special machine, which means they can place them much closer together than by hand. This spring the circuit looks particularly spectacular with 500,000 bulbs in bloom.
Daffodils are intoxicating. A celebrity power flower that annually raises millions for cancer research, the daffodil is internationally adored as spring’s cheerful herald. Yet just a few centuries ago this plant was so unpopular, hardly anyone in England would even consider bringing one into their home.
It’s the ultimate makeover: the dazzling, dancing blooms have gone from being shunned by all to entrancing poets, inspiring designers, captivating perfumers and fascinating scientists. This humble bulb now represents everything from hope, rebirth, eternal life and mystery to unrequited love.
The daffodil’s remarkable tale began over 18 million years ago in southwest Europe’s Iberian Peninsular. This plant contains toxic alkaloids, and ancient cultures grew to fear it as a semi-supernatural living link to the hereafter. One Greek myth associates daffodils with the tragic demise of the vain youth Narcissus (hence the plant’s Latin name), while another relates how these flowers lured the goddess Persephone to her Underworld doom. Roman soldiers are said to have carried daffodil bulbs as suicide pills, believing that they guaranteed wounded fighters a smooth passage to the spirit world beyond.
Even so, early healers believed that, carefully used, the daffodil possessed medicinal qualities – a fact that medical researchers continue to explore to this day, working on the theory that compounds derived from certain varieties of the plant could be used to treat cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
The daffodil, it should be stressed, is not one flower but many. Botanists recognise 54 species plus various naturally occurring hybrids that bloom from early spring to autumn. Some can be described as nocturnal, releasing deep scents into the night air to entice pollinating moths. From these, enthusiasts have created over 30,000 different named daffodils – an impressive panoply that varies in size (from 5cm dwarfs to 50cm giants), shape (classic trumpets, twisted starbursts, flat-faced flowers, multi-headed blooms, to name a few) and colour (everything from ghostly whites through to oranges, yellows, reds, greens and even some with tinges of mauve).
Each cultivar has a name – “Lucifer”, “Intrigue”, “Hanky Panky”, “Flirt”, “Foundling”, “Sulphur’s Flame” and many more – a story, and a dedicated breeder. The tales of so-called “daffodonians” attempting to engineer the exquisite are laced with drama, occasional danger and plenty of romance.

The cult of the daffodil began in earnest in the 1800s and was largely pioneered by Scottish horticulturist Peter Barr, known to aficionados as the “Daffodil King”. Bulb prices exploded (fittingly, there’s a variety named “Fortune”) and daffodil devotees became so protective of their prize blooms, one even booby-trapped her garden with explosives to deter thieves.
By the turn of the 21st century, daffodils had become ubiquitous, and yet there’s still so much more to learn about them: indeed, science has yet to fully fathom their basic structure. The more you look into this flower, the deeper the gold.
Daffodil – Biography of a Flower by Helen O’Neill is published by HarperCollins, RRP £18.99.
This article is taken from the Goodwood magazine, Spring 2018 issue
Magazine