![]() To ensure that everything is run with efficiency and in the best interests of the public and competitors, it is supported by the goodwill of 300+ volunteers who will, no matter what the weather or the circumstances will ensure the event runs safely and smoothly. Kop Hill has long been resurfaced in tarmac, but retains its gentle bends and wooded verge, lined with sections for the spectator to watch in safety. Measuring just over 900 yards (or 826 metres in new money) One at a time, competitors ascend the slope while the marshals watch out for potential hazards. It eases off a little and then finally increases to a 1:4 gradient. The Kop Hill starts as a gentle slope, gradually steepening to a 1:8 climb. Both visitors and competitors travel from all over of the UK to attend, including Guernsey, Ipswich and Canterbury. The weekend is indeed a draw for the local community, but its reach has clearly gone way beyond the confines of the Chilterns. An incredible £870,000 has been raised to date!’ She told us that ‘Kop Hill Climb Festival falls after the Goodwood Revival, and given the shared machinery at both events, the Hill climb acts as something of a run-off to allow competitors to see off the year with a final last fling of glory.’ ‘We are also very proud of the funds it raises for charity and projects on behalf of Hearts of Bucks. Sara Beaumont explained to Car & Classic the event’s appeal, and why it has resonated with the local community. Successfully managing to appeal to both die-hard motorsport enthusiasts, as well as families, the substantial growth and careful organisation of the event has benefited the local area and as a result, has been retitled the Kop Hill Climb Festival. However, the first event that bears a resemblance to the current set-up came in 2009, in which 220 vehicles spanning from 1903 to 1973 took part in a non-competitive climb.Īfter a successful decade of Kop Hill Climb events, which include soapbox races, stalls, live music and food, the nucleus of the event remains to raise funds and increase awareness for local causes and projects. For nearly three-quarters of a century, the unassuming public road remained intact but devoid of the echoes of battling Bugattis and Ballots, until a timely resuscitation in 1999 as part of the Risborough Festival. Over the next two decades, it attracted eminent names such as Sir Malcolm Campbell, Archie Frazer-Nash and Sir Henry Segrave.įollowing a string of mishaps, a lack of marshals to manage the overflowing spectators, and the practical difficulties of holding a motorsport competition on a public road, things came to an abrupt end in 1925. The word spread and soon became one of the most popular speed Hill Climbs in the UK, and several motor clubs embraced the challenge. Held on a damp day in April 1910, it is recognised as the inaugural event of what is known as the Kop Hill Climb. The first event, organised by the Motor Cycling Club, was held on a track consisting of flint, stone and chalk. There’s a little country lane, on a Chiltern escarpment deep in the countryside of Buckinghamshire, that has until fairly recently been one of the best-kept secrets in British Motorsports.
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