We stayed in the Spread Eagle, an old coaching inn at Midhurst, which has easy access to the Region and could be accessed without the need to go on the M25! Participants arrive on Thursday evening, as on Friday we had been invited by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to their Goodwood headquarters. The plant fits in astonishingly well within the countryside and equally impressive was the way the plant keeps on being re-configured as the model range and number of cars produced increases year by year.
From ultra modern manufacturing we went back several hundred years to experience rural life at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum as it was in the Middle Ages. There was a huge sawpit, a working water driven flour mill as well as several houses put back as they were in the 16th C. Moving forward a few centuries there was the Tangmere Aircraft Museum which was a centre of activity in the Battle of Britain. They was a display of the first Spitfire, a Hurricane as well as their successors , a Supermarine Swift and Lightning from the 1950’s and 60’s.
This western part of the National Park has some glorious sweeping country roads going up and over the South Downs.
On the Saturday and Sunday, the club members explored the wide variety of different types of countryside and heritage that this area possesses. To the south near Chichester there was a very impressive Roman Villa complete with wonderful intricate under floor heating and baths.
At the Eastern end of the Park Bodiam Castle was explored by the group, described as “an old soldier’s dream castle”, built as a quadrangle surrounded by a moat given by Lord Curzon to the National Trust.
As we turned west, the cars were able to test their abilities on some of the South’s historic hill climbs up the side of the Downs. The Weather permitted us to view some wonderful views of the Weald to the North and the English Channel to the South. Whilst on the road we passed Cuckmere Haven and the famous Seven Sisters chalk cliffs before going inland past Glyndebourne and over Ditchling Beacon, the site of one of the highest beacons lit to warn of the approach of the Spanish Armada.
For those interested in the industrial heritage of the region the Amberley Museum and Heritage centre has a fascinatingly eclectic collection of old commercial vehicles, steam engines, garage workshops, as well as many craftsmen demonstrating those ancient skills.
