Brooklands, Surrey in the UK, the birthplace of British motor racing, is
to receive a multi-million-pound facelift to help restore it to its former
glory, according to the BBC.
Under the
proposals, the final stretch of the world's first purpose-built racing circuit
is to be restored and brought into use in a £7m scheme at Brooklands Museum in
Surrey.
UK lottery funds
of nearly £4.7 million have been awarded to the scheme, which will see a WW2
hangar moved from its position on top of the track and restored nearby.
The finishing
straight will be restored to its 1939 appearance when the circuit was in its
heyday, museum staff said.
Brooklands opened
in 1907 and went on to make motoring and aviation history.
After
restoration, the final stretch will return to use for motoring and aviation
activities.
The restored
Grade II listed World War Two Wellington Hangar - which was used for the
assembly of Wellington bombers in the 1940s and later for other industrial
purposes - will become The Brooklands Aircraft Factory, where visitors will see
how aircraft from biplanes to Concorde were designed, developed and built.
And a new annexe,
the Flight Shed, will also be built to house more of the museum's collection,
including active aircraft such as its Sopwith Camel and Hurricane which will be
kept ready to roll out on to the refurbished race track.
The race track's heyday was in the
1930s
Races took place at Brooklands as
well as early experiments in engineering
Museum director
Allan Winn said the aircraft assembly building would be the only place in the
country dedicated to showing how aircraft are designed and built.
He promised
visitors "an unmatched, immersive and imaginative experience".
Stuart McLeod,
head of Heritage Lottery Fund South East, said Brooklands had played an
important role in the country's history, and the airliners and
"glitzy" Grand Prix of today could all be traced back to innovation
that had taken place at Brooklands.
He said the
project would help visitors understand the "pivotal role" the UK has
played in engineering.
The museum has
raised over £1.2 million and has been awarded £4.681 million by the lottery
fund. It still needs to raise a further £775,000.
Work on the
scheme is due to start in the next couple of months and be finished by summer
next year.
From next year, visitors will be able
to see the final stretch as it was
'Firsts' at
Brooklands
-Brooklands saw the first public demonstration of
powered flight in the UK in 1909
-The first person to travel over 100 miles in one
hour, Percy Lambert, did so at Brooklands in 1913
-The first British Grand Prix took place at
Brooklands in 1926
Over the years, aircraft built at
Brooklands have ranged from biplanes to Concorde
The funding will
help bring part of its famous track back to life and rebuild its main hangar, which
houses old aircraft including Wellington bombers, Sopwith Camels and
Hurricanes.
It is the biggest
heritage project that Brooklands has ever seen.
The BBC’s Duncan
Kennedy went to have a look at the old track with museum director Allan Winn.
Watch the news
report on
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