Brooklands Museum in Weybridge is where British speed was born. The great banked concrete circuit built here in 1907 was the world’s first purpose-built motor racing track, and the same site went on to build Wellington bombers, Hurricanes and pieces of Concorde. Today it’s one of the country’s most atmospheric museums — racing cars, motorcycles and historic aircraft gathered around the surviving banking where the pioneers once lapped at terrifying speeds. It’s the perfect partner to Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum for anyone doing a motoring pilgrimage through the south.
Motorsport and Aviation Side by Side
Nowhere else tells both stories together. The Motoring Village and Clubhouse recall the glamorous inter-war years when Brooklands was “the Ascot of motorsport”, while the Aircraft Factory and Flight Shed celebrate the site’s other life as one of Britain’s great aircraft works. You can walk up the original Members’ Banking — steeper than it ever looks in photographs — and admission also includes the London Bus Museum on the same site, home to a wonderful fleet of historic buses.
Concorde and the Stratosphere Chamber
The star of the aircraft park is Concorde G-BBDG. The bookable Concorde Experience puts you in her cabin for a “virtual flight” complete with commentary from former crew — it sells out on busy days, so reserve when you book your entry. Nearby is the extraordinary Stratosphere Chamber, once the largest facility of its kind in the world, built to test aircraft in extreme conditions.
Visiting Brooklands Museum
The museum is in Weybridge, Surrey, just off the M25 with free parking on site, and about a mile from Weybridge station. It’s open daily with last entry two hours before closing, and booking online in advance gets the best prices — note the site is now entirely cashless. Allow four hours or more, especially on one of the busy event days when the paddock fills with classics. Garden lovers in the family can pair it with RHS Garden Wisley, ten minutes down the road.
Book Your Visit
Admission tickets, the Concorde Experience and event days are on the official Brooklands Museum website.
Visit The Brooklands Museum WebsiteWhere to stay: Holiday Cottages • Hotels