From 2005 to present there has been a demonstration area for the rally cars at the top of the hill
Our replica of the famous motor show showcases the "cars of the future" in true Revival style
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
Just beyond Goodwood House along the Hillclimb, the 2nd Dukes banqueting house was also known as "one of the finest rooms in England" (George Vertue 1747).
Easy boy! The charismatic Farnham Flyer loved to celebrate every win with a pint of beer. His Boxer dog, Grogger, did too and had a tendancy to steal sips straight from the glass.
G. Stubbs (1724–1806) created some of the animal portraiture masterpieces at Goodwood House, combining anatomical exactitude with expressive details
As the private clubhouse for all of the Estate’s sporting and social members, it offers personal service and a relaxed atmosphere
Nick Heidfelds 1999 (41.6s) hillclimb record was beaten after Max Chilton in his McMurtry Spéirling fan car tore it to shreds at 39.08s in 2022!
Every single item from plates to pictures has its own home within the Lodge, with our butler (James) has his own "bible" to reference exactly what is out of place.
Easy boy! The charismatic Farnham Flyer loved to celebrate every win with a pint of beer. His Boxer dog, Grogger, did too and had a tendancy to steal sips straight from the glass.
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.
Future Lab is Goodwood's innovation pavilion, inspiring industry enthusiasts and future scientists with dynamic tech
FOS Favourite Mad Mike Whiddett can be caught melting tyres in his incredible collection of cars (and trucks) up the hillclimb
From 2005 to present there has been a demonstration area for the rally cars at the top of the hill
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 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 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 red & yellow of the Racecourse can be traced back hundreds of years, even captured in our stunning Stubbs paintings in the Goodwood Collection
For safety reasons F1 cars can no longer do official timed runs so instead perform stunning demonstrations!
Ray Hanna famously flew straight down Goodwood’s pit straight below the height of the grandstands at the first Revival in 1998
The first thing ever dropped at Goodwood was a cuddly elephant which landed in 1932 just as the 9th Duke of Richmonds passion for flying was taking off.
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
Goodwood Motor Circuit was officially opened in September 1948 when Freddie March, the 9th Duke and renowned amateur racer, tore around the track in a Bristol 400
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.
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
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.
The famous fighter ace, who flew his last sortie from Goodwood Aerodrome, formerly RAF Westhampnett has a statue in his honor within the airfield.
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.
Estate milk was once transformed into ice-creams, bombes, and syllabubs, and the Georgian ice house still stands in the grounds in front of Goodwood House.
As the private clubhouse for all of the Estate’s sporting and social members, it offers personal service and a relaxed atmosphere
Ensure you take a little time out together to pause and take in the celebration of all the hard work you put in will be a treasured memory.
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.
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
The first thing ever dropped at Goodwood was a cuddly elephant which landed in 1932 just as the 9th Duke of Richmonds passion for flying was taking off.
Inspired by the legendary racer, Masten Gregory, who famously leapt from the cockpit of his car before impact when approaching Woodcote Corner in 1959.
Just beyond Goodwood House along the Hillclimb, the 2nd Dukes banqueting house was also known as "one of the finest rooms in England" (George Vertue 1747).
Flying training began at Goodwood in 1940 when pilots were taught operational flying techniques in Hurricanes and Spitfires.
The first thing ever dropped at Goodwood was a cuddly elephant which landed in 1932 just as the 9th Duke of Richmonds passion for flying was taking off.
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 early history of cricket is interwoven with that of the Goodwood Estate. Indeed, the rules of the sport were first written down in 1727, on the occasion of a match between the 2nd Duke of Richmond and a sporting rival.
Words by Sarah Crompton
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The high-octane, big-money world of international cricket today might seem a million miles away from the pastoral setting of the Goodwood Estate. Yet it was here, historians believe, that the foundations of the modern game were laid. In the flurry of sporting activity that followed the restoration of Charles II, cricket grew in popularity – both on its own merits and thanks to the heavy amounts of gambling that took place on the side. As interest developed, the King’s grandson, Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, became one of its most powerful patrons, assisting cricket’s evolution from a village game to a first-class sport.
In the 1720s, the Duke’s team played all over Sussex. But it was his two matches in 1727 against Alan Brodrick, son of the 1st Viscount Midleton (an Irish statesman who had settled in Surrey), that mark a key moment in cricketing history. These matches – one near Godalming on 27 July, the second at Goodwood on 28 August – required articles of agreement to clarify the generally unwritten rules of the game, and the 16-point agreement (pictured above) became the earliest rules to be written down. In them you can trace the lineaments of today’s cricket, but there are some discrepancies. Players are called “gamesters”, the wickets are 23 yards apart rather than 22, and there are 12 players on each side rather than 11 (unusual even at the time). Best of all, even though there are two umpires overseeing the play, the rules explicitly do not apply to the Duke of Richmond and Mr Brodrick.
Although the 2nd Duke’s cricketing career came to an end when he broke his leg in May 1732, his team remained one of the best in the land, with early stars such as his groom Thomas Waymark impressing with “his extraordinary agility and dexterity”. He also took the neighbouring Slindon team under his wing, and under his patronage it became the greatest team in England, winning 43 out of 44 matches played in 1742, partly thanks to the efforts of the three Newland brothers, who all played for England.
Looking back at the French Revolution, the historian GM Trevelyan famously suggested: “If the French nobility had been capable of playing cricket with their peasants, their châteaux would never have been burnt.” It’s a persuasive thought, although social distinctions were observed at Goodwood: after a match, the gentlemen would go through the house’s front door to enjoy a supper of game pie and meats, followed by plum pudding, with claret to wash it down. But estate workers made their way to the Servants’ Hall by the back door, to eat meat and vegetables, apple pie and cheese, with tankards of ale.
Goodwood’s cricketing tradition persisted with the 4th Duke, an accomplished right-hand bat and noted wicketkeeper, who was a prime mover in the foundation of the MCC, since he and George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea, offered Thomas Lord a guarantee against any losses he might suffer on opening a new cricket ground. And the Estate’s deep roots in the sport mean that through the centuries it has held a special place in every cricket lover’s heart. Its lovely ground has attracted luminaries such as Sir Colin Cowdrey, Graham Gooch and Nasser Hussain to play under the cedar of Lebanon planted by the 3rd Duke in 1761 – a magical setting for this great game.
This article was taken from the Summer 2019 edition of the Goodwood Magazine.
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