CHANCE TO SEE HISTORIC CARS RETRACE CHALFONT HEIGHTS HILL CLIMBS

Photos courtesy of Motoring Picture Library www.motoringpicturelibrary.com

A Parade of classic cars will retrace the route of historic hill climbs on the Chalfont Heights Estate in June, in a one-off display marking the 80^th anniversary of the last event held here in 1935.

The commemoration of the Chalfont Heights Hill Climbs on the Village Feast Day on Saturday 27^th June has been organised jointly by FEAST OF ST PETER, THE CELFUNDE INHERITANCE, and the CHALFONT HEIGHTS ESTATE. Hill climbs were held on the dirt roads of the Estate between 1929 & 1935, organised by the Middlesex County Automobile Club, the Bugatti Owners’ Club and the Junior Racing Drivers’ Club.

On the morning of the annual VILLAGE FEAST DAY event, many cars of the types that took part in the hill climbs between 1929 and 1935 will retrace the original route of the climb. Assembling at 10.00 at Chalfont Park House, they will start at 11.00 and proceed to the bottom of Woodside Hill, up along the original course to the Finish on Woodside Hill. Then along Ellis Avenue, Chiltern Hill and Upway to Joiners Lane. From there they will drive back down to the village centre where they will drive through the High Street and Market Place to join other classic vehicles gathering on Goldhill Common. Most will negotiate the hairpin, introduced by the Bugatti Owners’ Club in 1933, around the island at the junction with Lincoln Road.

The event offers unrivalled opportunities to see many of these historic, beautifully kept cars in the original setting that is part of the Village history. When the hill climbs took place in the 1930’s there were only a few houses on Woodside Hill and hundreds of spectators came to see them compete. Cars like the Bugatti, Riley, Frazer Nash, Invicta, Alvis, Bentley, MG and others that you will see on the 27^th June were brought to Chalfont St Peter by enthusiastic owners. They included Peter Whitehead who raced in F1, won in a Jaguar at Le Mans, had his racing workshop at Motorwork in Market Place and regularly conducted business in the White Hart. We may not be fortunate enough to see such a gathering of Classic Cars again in Chalfont St Peter, most of which are over eighty years old.

Heritage group, Celfunde Inheritance, will be displaying original photographs of the hill climbs and details of the course at their stand on Goldhill Common on FEAST DAY. The classic hill climb cars will park there next to the popular classic cars from about 11:30 onwards.

Residents in Woodside Hill, Ellis Avenue, upper Chiltern Hill and Upway are requested not to park on the roadway between 10..30 – 11.30 on Saturday 27^th June to ensure that the Parade has a clear run through the Estate. You are welcome to come and see the cars as they assemble at Chalfont Park from 10.00 onwards but are requested to park in the Staff car park to the left side of the house.

A map of the original Hill Climb course and a map of the Parade route is attached below.