In The Addlestone Chronicles, the primary location is the north Surrey village of Addlestone. Brooklands is situated near Weybridge, Surrey, only a mile away from Woburn Hall, where the novels are set. It was the world’s first purpose-built banked race track. Opened in 1907, it preceded the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway which was opened in 1909. There were five circuits of different lengths for various types of races; an Outer circuit, a Grand Prix Circuit, a Mountain Circuit, an International Trophy Circuit, and the Campbell Circuit. That circuit was named after Sir Malcolm Campbell, MBE, who, at various times, held the world speed record on and on water.
When Brooklands was constructed, it also became the home of the Brooklands Aerodrome, one of Britain’s first airfields. In the interwar years, it was the location for the development of the Spitfire fighter aircraft. This was a highly secret project, the cover being the racetrack which held numerous public events and races during that period.
As described in Addlestone, the first book in the series, there was a security breach at Brooklands such that the development of the Spitfire had to be moved to various other locations. Racing ceased at the circuit in August 1939, a month before the start of WWII.
Brooklands Race Track and the Spritfire
