Legend of Goodwood's golden racing era and Le Mans winner Roy Salvadori once famously said "give me Goodwood on a summer's day and you can forget the rest".
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.
We have been host to many incredible film crews using Goodwood as a backdrop for shows like Downton Abbey, Hollywood Blockbusters like Venom: let there be Carnage and the Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Just beyond Goodwood House along the Hillclimb, the 2nd Dukes banqueting house was also known as "one of the finest rooms in England" (George Vertue 1747).
Testament to the 19th-century fascination with ancient Egypt and decorative opulence. The room is richly detailed with gilded cartouches, sphinxes, birds and crocodiles.
As the private clubhouse for all of the Estate’s sporting and social members, it offers personal service and a relaxed atmosphere
Flying jetpacks doesn't have to just be a spectator sport at FOS, you can have a go at our very own Aerodrome!
Revel in the history of our hounds with their family trees dating back to some of our earliest documents at Goodwood.
Easy boy! The charismatic Farnham Flyer loved to celebrate every win with a pint of beer. His Boxer dog, Grogger, did too and had a tendancy to steal sips straight from the glass.
Sir Stirling Moss was one of the founding patrons of the Festival of Speed, and a regular competitor at the Revival.
For safety reasons F1 cars can no longer do official timed runs so instead perform stunning demonstrations!
The oldest existing rules for the game were drawn up for a match between the 2nd Duke and a neighbour
Spectate from the chicane at the Revival to see plenty of classic cars going sideways as they exit this infamous point of our Motor Circuit.
FOS Favourite Mad Mike Whiddett can be caught melting tyres in his incredible collection of cars (and trucks) up the hillclimb
The first ever horsebox was used from Goodwood to Doncaster for the 1836 St. Leger. Elis arrived fresh and easily won his owner a £12k bet.
King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.
The first ever horsebox was used from Goodwood to Doncaster for the 1836 St. Leger. Elis arrived fresh and easily won his owner a £12k bet.
The first ever horsebox was used from Goodwood to Doncaster for the 1836 St. Leger. Elis arrived fresh and easily won his owner a £12k bet.
King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.
The red & yellow of the Racecourse can be traced back hundreds of years, even captured in our stunning Stubbs paintings in the Goodwood Collection
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
Legend of Goodwood's golden racing era and Le Mans winner Roy Salvadori once famously said "give me Goodwood on a summer's day and you can forget the rest".
Flying training began at Goodwood in 1940 when pilots were taught operational flying techniques in Hurricanes and Spitfires.
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
The famous fighter ace, who flew his last sortie from Goodwood Aerodrome, formerly RAF Westhampnett has a statue in his honor within the airfield.
The Duke of Richmond holds the title of Duke of Richmond and Gordon. This title reflects the historical association with both the Richmond and Gordon families.
Flying training began at Goodwood in 1940 when pilots were taught operational flying techniques in Hurricanes and Spitfires.
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
Flying jetpacks doesn't have to just be a spectator sport at FOS, you can have a go at our very own Aerodrome!
Flying training began at Goodwood in 1940 when pilots were taught operational flying techniques in Hurricanes and Spitfires.
Flying training began at Goodwood in 1940 when pilots were taught operational flying techniques in Hurricanes and Spitfires.
We have been host to many incredible film crews using Goodwood as a backdrop for shows like Downton Abbey, Hollywood Blockbusters like Venom: let there be Carnage and the Man from U.N.C.L.E.
A temple-folly guarded by two sphinxes, the beautiful shell house was built in 1748 with collected shells and the floor made from horse teeth.
As the private clubhouse for all of the Estate’s sporting and social members, it offers personal service and a relaxed atmosphere
Ensure you take a little time out together to pause and take in the celebration of all the hard work you put in will be a treasured memory.
The first public race meeting took place in 1802 and, through the nineteenth century, ‘Glorious Goodwood,’ as the press named it, became a highlight of the summer season
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
Flying jetpacks doesn't have to just be a spectator sport at FOS, you can have a go at our very own Aerodrome!
Built in 1787 by celebrated architect James Wyatt to house the third Duke of Richmond’s prized fox hounds, The Kennels was known as one of the most luxurious dog houses in the world!
Our gin uses wild-grown botanicals sourced from the estate, and is distilled with mineral water naturally chalk-filtered through the South Downs.
The famous fighter ace, who flew his last sortie from Goodwood Aerodrome, formerly RAF Westhampnett has a statue in his honor within the airfield.
The famous fighter ace, who flew his last sortie from Goodwood Aerodrome, formerly RAF Westhampnett has a statue in his honor within the airfield.
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
The oldest existing rules for the game were drawn up for a match between the 2nd Duke and a neighbour
Inspired by the legendary racer, Masten Gregory, who famously leapt from the cockpit of his car before impact when approaching Woodcote Corner in 1959.
Head of Operations at The Spitfire Academy based at Goodwood, Mark shares his long-held passion for flying and aviation history with us.
flying school
aerodrome
Tell us a bit about you?
I have always been mad keen on aviation since I was first allowed to help my dad to build his 1:24 scale P51 Mustang, at the age of 5. My Sunday School teacher eventually asked my parents that I refrain from drawing Lancaster bombers instead of religious events – apparently, I was not entering into the spirit of the class! My school art report says, “can draw very well as long as it has wings and is camouflaged”!
I wanted to be an RAF pilot but after several attempts at selection at RAF Biggin Hill, I decided to have a break and get a job after A levels. I did a gliding scholarship with the ATC and became a Gliding Instructor whilst training to become a Chartered Surveyor. After a few years, I re-applied for the RAF as aircrew and was accepted as a Flight Engineer. Sadly, before I could get to flying training, I suffered a knee injury and was forced to leave. Back to construction: I spent the next 30 years working in construction as a Building Regulation and Fire Safety Specialist and spent much of my time travelling round the UK, training surveyors. It wasn’t really what I wanted to do, however, and aviation was always calling me! Fortunately, 3 years ago, I was asked if I wanted to become the Head of Operations for Spitfires.com which I readily accepted! My first full time job in aviation at the age of 49! Working with Spitfires and getting to share my passion for history, aviation and warbirds is my dream job.
Have you always been interested in aviation?
At 7, I joined my local aviation museum and had access to aircraft cockpits, gun turrets, engines, medals, and logbooks as well as WW2 RAF veterans! I was very lucky to be able to spend my weekends immersed in history and I loved every minute of it. I joined the ATC aged 13 and flew in Chipmunks and anything else I could, from Chinooks to VC10s. My ATC Squadron had an Ex-Hunter pilot and a WW2 Mosquito navigator who had won the Distinguished Flying Cross, both flying privately at Headcorn, so I had plenty of air experience flights with them in a Cessna 172. I was smitten with flying and was desperate to get a job in aviation. Sadly, that didn’t work out, but I became a gliding instructor on winch-launched gliders and then motor gliders, flying at RAF Halton as an RAF VR officer, for 14 years of fun teaching 16-year-old cadets. I joined the RAF flying club and learned to fly the club’s Chipmunk, gaining my PPL. I ventured into aircraft ownership with a share in a Victa Air tourer, but I had developed a love of tailwheel flying so I sold my share. Since then, I have continued to fly, as and when finances allowed. I have also been writing books, doing TV programmes on aviation history, advising museums and collectors on aviation memorabilia, and playing Spitfires! I have been very lucky.
What has your involvement at Goodwood been over the years?
After flying at RAF Halton and then Dunsfold, work moved me further south, and I had my first flight at Goodwood with Graham Turner in a Robin 2120 at Vectair back in 2004. I joined the Goodwood Aeroclub 20 years ago and flew the Super Decathlon and had the opportunity to check out the Goodwood Harvard. I was lucky to be involved in a MA5 Charger home-built, Bi-plane group and continued my tailwheel journey. I progressed through to Super Cub, Cap 10b and then to the beautiful Stearman, whilst also completing my CRI rating with Goodwood Flying School. I have always been fascinated by the history of the Airfield and when I first came to Goodwood it seemed that not much was really known about the squadrons that flew here. Many of the books written about the airfield seemed to be very light on content, so I set out to investigate a bit more! That started a 20-year quest, leading to meeting many of the veterans who flew at RAF Westhampnett in the 1940s. Over the years I have supported the Aeroclub with history talks, tours, and information about the airfield’s history, which I continue to do whilst working for Spitfires.com. What a great Airfield we have, and I look forward to many more years of flying from this historic airfield.
Tell us about some of the books you’ve written. Do you have a favourite?...
My first book was ‘RAF Westhampnett at War’ written with Dieter Sinanan and Greg Percival, who both flew at Goodwood. It was a self-published book of 1000 copies with all proceeds to the Royal Air Force Association. It was a fabulous journey of discovery about the airfield and its personalities and what a privilege it was to be able to tell their stories! This kickstarted my writing career, and I was asked to write articles for Britain at War Magazine as well as books for the publisher Pen and Sword. 15 further books followed about various topics from WW1 Royal Flying Corps pilots to the flying equipment worn by Battle of Britain pilots and anything in between. My favourite book will always be ‘A fighter command station at war’, the story of RAF Westhampnett. It is the latest edition of the airfield history and the most complete and it reflects many years of digging around for facts and photos.
What is your favourite RAF Westhampnett Fact?
Oohhh! So many! Probably that both of the RAF’s double amputee pilots of WW2 both flew operationally at Goodwood on Spitfires during WW2: not only Douglas Bader but also Colin Hodgkinson, who served here with 610 (County of Chester) Squadron.
flying school
aerodrome