Brooklands Society

Brooklands Society
Name	Brooklands Society
Founded	1967
Location	Weybridge, Surrey, England
Type	Charitable organisation
Purpose	Preservation of Brooklands motor-racing circuit and aviation heritage
Headquarters	Brooklands Museum
Region served	United Kingdom

Brooklands Society is a voluntary heritage organisation dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the Brooklands motor-racing circuit and associated aviation heritage at Weybridge, Surrey. It works alongside institutions such as the Brooklands Museum Trust, Museum of British Speedway, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Imperial War Museum, and the Science Museum to conserve artefacts, archives, and the remnants of the historic banking and hangars. Established in the late 20th century, the society engages with stakeholders including Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and national trusts to secure the site's legacy.

History

The society emerged in response to post-war redevelopment pressures on the Brooklands circuit, which had seen activity from firms such as Vickers-Armstrongs, British Aircraft Corporation, Hispano-Suiza, and constructors like Bentley and Mercedes-Benz (automobile). Founding members included enthusiasts connected to Brooklands Museum Trust and personnel from former employers like Hawker Siddeley and Vickers. Early campaigns addressed threats from commercial redevelopment, coordinating with bodies such as the Victorian Society, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and local MPs representing Surrey (historic county). The society documented surviving features of the Brooklands banking, the Byfleet banking, and wartime manufacturing works used during the First World War and the Second World War. Over decades it collaborated with heritage funders including the Heritage Lottery Fund and conservationists linked to English Heritage and Historic England.

Mission and Activities

The society’s stated mission is to preserve, record, and promote the heritage of Brooklands for future generations. Activities include advocacy with planning authorities such as Elmbridge Borough Council and partnerships with museums like the Brooklands Museum, Royal Air Force Museum, Science Museum Group, and National Motor Museum, Beaulieu to curate exhibitions. It liaises with corporate archives of manufacturers and teams including Rolls-Royce, Bristol (aircraft), Lotus Cars, Cooper Car Company, and racing figures connected to Sir Henry Royce and W. O. Bentley. The society also coordinates volunteers drawn from associations such as the Royal British Legion and aviation clubs including the Brooklands Flying Club.

Collections and Preservation

The society assists in safeguarding tangible and documentary collections related to Brooklands including race programmes, engineering drawings, aircraft parts from firms like Hawker and Supermarine, and motoring artefacts tied to marques such as Bentley, Aston Martin, MG (marque), Jaguar Cars, and Alfa Romeo. Working with curators from the Brooklands Museum Trust, conservators from the National Archives (United Kingdom), and specialists linked to Imperial War Museum, the society supports restoration projects for structures like the Brooklands Test Hill and remaining sections of the 2.75-mile banking. It contributes to catalogues that reference collections at institutions such as the Science Museum, London Transport Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Events and Education

Educational programmes target audiences from enthusiasts associated with clubs like the Bentley Drivers Club, Guild of Motoring Writers, Brooklands Heritage Group, and schools across Surrey and the Greater London area. The society helps stage events with partners including the Brooklands Museum, the Goodwood Road Racing Club, and national festivals like the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and Goodwood Revival. Activities include guided tours of surviving works linked to Vickers production, lectures featuring historians of aviation and motorsport such as authors who have written about Sir Henry Segrave and John Cobb, and educational outreach connected with university departments at Imperial College London and the University of Surrey.

Organisation and Governance

Operated by an elected committee and volunteer officers, the society coordinates with charitable and statutory bodies including the Brooklands Museum Trust, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and local authorities such as Elmbridge Borough Council and Surrey County Council. Governance follows standards observed by organisations like the Charity Commission for England and Wales and reporting practices akin to the National Trust. The committee includes specialists in motorsport history, aviation history, conservation professionals trained through programmes at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Archives (United Kingdom), and representatives from partner clubs including the Bentley Drivers Club and Brooklands Racing Club.

Publications and Media

The society produces newsletters, guides, and monographs documenting Brooklands personalities, races, and aircraft, often in collaboration with publishers and outlets such as the Brooklands Museum, Haynes Publishing, Croom Helm, Motor Sport (magazine), and Flight International. Publications cover subjects from early 20th-century land speed record attempts involving figures like Sir Malcolm Campbell and Segrave to wartime manufacturing by Vickers and Supermarine. It also contributes material to broadcast and digital media produced by organisations including the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, and documentary producers working with archives from the Imperial War Museum and the National Archives (United Kingdom).

Category:Heritage organisations in England Category:Automobile museums in the United Kingdom Category:Aviation history of the United Kingdom