Goodwood, motoring and racing

In 1948, the wartime airfield at Westhampnett was reborn as the Goodwood Motor Circuit, where Stirling Moss first dazzled and Juan Manuel Fangio bowed out in 1958. Just 31 miles from Brighton, chalk cliffs give way to pit lanes and hand-lettered pit boards. The Festival of Speed, launched in 1993 around the hillclimb at Goodwood House, brings sculpture-sized installations and live runs, while the Revival restages period paddocks down to felt pit passes. Next door, the racecourse, opened in 1802, rides the ridge of the South Downs.

Here’s how it works: pickup from your Brighton hotel, flexible departure, and a Mercedes on standby all day. Your dedicated driver handles passes and sets you down close to the action (Goodwood House for the hill, Gate 8 for the circuit), then waits off the traffic flow while you wander the garages, sample a fish pie at Farmer, Butcher, Chef, or hop to the racecourse in about 12 minutes. Head back when you choose, with an optional stop at Chichester Cathedral or The Fox Goes Free, all within the agreed fare framework.