April 2020

Inheriting a house that needs work is tough, inheriting a 12,000-acre estate with a house that was built circa 1600 and hundreds of staff is not something to wish on anybody but such was the lot of Charles, 11th Duke of Richmond. Charles, who trained as a photographer inherited Goodwood and the monumental task of maintaining what is essentially a British national treasure in the early 1990s.

The Goodwood Estate was already home to a horse race course, two golf courses, a cricket pitch, a 91-room hotel, a 4,000-acre organic farm and an aging motor racing circuit that was an old World War II airfield. The upkeep was staggering; something needed to be done and in 1993 he launched the Festival of Speed (FOS).

The FOS is an event centered on a hill climb up the estate’s 1.16-mile driveway. However, the four-day Festival is much more than that and from its humble beginnings now attracts 150,000 spectators, the elite of the motorsports community and most of the world’s major auto manufacturers.

For several years the hill climb was not quite as balls-out as it was when Nick Heidfeld set the 20-year track record of 41.6 seconds in 1999. However, in the past decade things have changed with a new breed of cars and in 2019 Romain Dumas hauled his electric VW ID.R up the drive in 39.90 seconds. TT was there to see it happen.

The hill climb can be quite exciting but it’s only the center of the action, surrounding the track is a city built for just four days that hosts car manufacturers, a technology Future Lab, the Michelin Supercar Paddock, the Cartier Style et Luxe car show and the world’s most iconic rally cars tearing through the forest Rally Stage. It is truly a bucket list experience at the end of which the Duke has champagne served through the windows of the house to anybody who cares to hang out. It’s that kind of not-to-be-missed event.

2020 Festival dates are not known at the time of writing. Check the official web site for announcements:
https://www.goodwood.com/motorsport/festival-of-speed/

Note: Entry to both the FOS and the Revival are by advance ticket purchase only. There are no ticket sales at the gate.

Getting there: Do your homework and give yourself plenty of time. Goodwood is located in a tranquil part of England; the roads are narrow and twisty and during events get exceedingly crowded. They do a great job of traffic control but slow moving traffic can be a test of patience.

Accommodation is always an issue. Plan well in advance and check every avenue from Airbnb to conventional hotels that book up early.