Barbon Hillclimb
Welcome to Barbon Hillclimb
Competitors: Entries for the 2023 meetings have now closed, but if you’d like to take part in the 15th June &/or 13th July Hillclimbs next year, you can still look at the regulations on our How to Enter page.
Spectators: Buy your Barbon admission tickets now and save!
Just scroll down this page to our section on Spectating
Look out for information and photos from our events on our Friends of Barbon Hillclimb Facebook page
Spectators are welcome to all Barbon Hillclimb events!
Andy Larton in his class winning Peugeot 106 in July 2016, photo courtesy of Mark Holmes Photography
Barbon Speed Hillclimb…. what is it?
Barbon Hillclimb is a relatively short but very quick speed Hillclimb course just outside the village of Barbon, near Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria.
The new course record of 20.08 seconds set by Jos Goodyear in July 2015 makes Barbon the fastest Hillclimb course in the UK – Jos set an average speed from start to finish of 90.66mph. Opened in 1950 the spectacular venue with views out over the surrounding countryside may be home to one of the shortest Hillclimbs in the UK, but its 675m long course climbs 61m (200ft) on the side of Barbon Fell and is incredibly popular with drivers who enjoy the challenge and great atmosphere that the venue provides. It’s great for spectators too, the whole of the course is accessible for viewing and you also have full access to the paddock area where the cars (and drivers) “rest” between runs.
What’s it all about? It’s simply an opportunity for registered competitors to drive their car as quickly as possible up the winding parkland estate road of Barbon Manor, the aim quite simply being to get from the bottom to the top in the shortest possible time. See Russell Thorp’s excellent in-car video here.
Want to have a go? You’ll have to have a car, it could even be an absolutely standard road car, and you’ll need to join a motor club. Have a look at our page about our Aintree Sprints where there’s lots more information. Sprints & Hillclimbs are very similar and many competitors use the same cars for both disciplines.
Jos Goodyear in his Track Record winning Raptor in July 2016, photo courtesy of Mark Holmes Photography
If you were at one of our previous events on the hill and would like to talk about your visit, please add your comments to our Facebook page (via the link at the bottom of this page) or contact any of our volunteer officials HERE
Want to see more events like this? For details of the exciting Sprints & Track Days on the historic motor racing circuit at Aintree click HERE
There are two days of competition on the hill each year, both featuring cars that range from road-going family saloons to powerful single-seat racing cars.
10th June & 15th July 2023 (15th June & 13th July 2024)
These popular annual events are both qualifying rounds of several local & regional championships and attract many “Club” competitors to this challenging venue. There’ll be an excellent variety of cars including single-seat racing cars and some surprisingly powerful saloon and rally cars taking part too. All this and a fascinating selection of historic cars as well.
See our Calendar page for more details of the championships invited to this year’s meetings.
The determination of each competitor to set a new personal record on the hill has to be seen to be believed, so you can be sure to see many cars & drivers driving flat out as they compete for positions in their own championships.
There are lots more photos of the Barbon Hillclimbs over the years on our Facebook page, and you can join in and post your own photos on our Friends of Barbon Hillclimb page too.
(above) Mark Purdiham, June 2015, photo courtesy of Pro-Rally.co.uk
(above) Colin Satchell, Peugeot 205, July 9, 2015, takes Lafone Hairpin, photo courtesy of Mark Holmes Photography
Click here for a taste of Barbon action on YouTube (but don’t forget to come back to our site from these links!)
Or click here for a great slideshow of Barbon Hillclimb scenes by Graham Edwards.
And click here for yet more great photos of the action at Barbon, this time by Steve Miller of Ulverston
Russell Thorp’s video captures the atmosphere of our June 2018 event with an in-car video in his Renault 5GT Turbo.
The Barbon Hillclimb course is situated in the parkland grounds of Barbon Manor, with spectacular views out over the surrounding countryside. The spectator gates open at 8 am, and the first practice is due to start at around 9.15 am. You’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference between practice and the competition runs – they’re just as exciting and only a stopwatch will show the difference in times! Apart from a break for lunch, the action should continue right through until late afternoon, generally finishing between 4.30 & 5 pm. Hot & cold refreshments are available on-site throughout the day for competitors and spectators.
Directions:
From the M6, take the A65 East to Kirkby Lonsdale, turn left onto the A683 for exactly 3 miles before turning right to Barbon Village. Then follow the local signs to the venue.
From South Yorkshire, take the A65 past Settle to Kirkby Lonsdale, turn right onto the A683 for 3 miles & then turn right again to Barbon village and follow the signs to the venue.
Using a sat nav? The nearest postcode is LA6 2LJ which will bring you right into the heart of Barbon Village.
For a Google map of the area, Click here
Please be aware that Competitors and Spectators have separate entrances to the venue, so please follow the appropriate direction signs!
In common with all UK motorsports events, Dogs are not allowed, even the best-behaved ones on the strongest of leads.
(above) Spectacular Barbon, Photo by Bill Gray
Competitors – How to enter:
Click HERE to go to the How To Enter page.
Camping for competitors is available on-site from 4 pm on Friday evening only. The farmer normally makes a charge of around £10. There are no hook-up or mains water facilities on-site for campers but portable toilets will be available. Nearby is the Barbon Inn serving excellent food and drink, and also within the village is the wonderful Churchmouse at Barbon, a village store, cafe and delicatessen all rolled into one.
Entries normally close 10 days prior to the event.
Barbon Paddock
The competitors’ paddock at Barbon is exactly that, a grass paddock, which was substantially improved in 2018 by installing additional land drains and new roadways. Though the new roadways are not surfaced (for the rest of the year the venue has to remain a working hill farm), we know visitors appreciate the changes we have made.
Above – Barbon paddock (Photo Brian Taylor)
Above, Barbon Paddock (photo Ric O’Reilly)
Results:
To find the Results for all our events from 2000 to date, simply CLICK HERE
For many years, the timekeeper at Barbon was the late W Alan Smith. A few years ago he wrote an article recounting his connection with the events back in 1950 and you can read it HERE: How it all started at Barbon
Motor Club Displays:
Is your motor club interested in putting on a static display of members’ cars at our events?
If your club would be interested in bringing along a selection of vehicles (and qualify for a discount on admission), please contact us here.
Trevor Willis powers up the hill in his OMS, July 2016, photo courtesy of www.whitedogphotography.co.uk
Spectators
Spectators are most welcome at our Barbon events – in fact, you are vital to the future of the venue.
Admission is fantastic value at just £10 per adult at the gate. Accompanied children under 16 get in free.
(We now accept most contactless debit & credit cards.)
Or buy your official e-tickets today and pay only £8.50 per adult.
Just click this link to get started: www.ticketsource.co.uk/barbon-hill-climb
In common with all UK motorsport events, Dogs are not allowed in the spectator areas, not even well-behaved ones on the strongest of leads. Sorry!
Car parking is free and you can wander around the paddock area to see the cars close up and talk to the drivers too. The whole of the course is accessible to spectators, from the start line right through the flying finish at the top. We recommend you wear stout footwear as, apart from the course itself, there are no surfaced areas and, being on the side of a hill (it wouldn’t be a Hillclimb if it wasn’t!), the walk right to the top can be challenging for some. The views from the top are well worth the effort though.
Whilst disabled visitors are welcome, the terrain is not particularly suitable for those with limited mobility or in wheelchairs as, for 362 days a year, it is merely farmland that forms part of the Barbon Manor Estate. We can usually arrange special access for disabled visitors, dependent on their time of arrival – please contact us in advance for details.
We have a mobile catering unit in the lower paddock all day serving both hot and cold food & drinks, and event toilets are situated in the lower paddock as well as strategically on the hill.
We provide digital displays at both start and finish that show the time taken by cars as they complete the course, and a list of all the cars’ times is displayed at the Secretary of the Meeting’s caravan in the lower paddock. The PA system covers the whole course and there will be a running commentary from the completion of practice throughout the competitive runs.
Timetable: All times are approximate and depend on weather conditions, the number of competitors, and the need to recover any cars that don’t make it to the top!
Spectator gates open at 8 am
The first practice starts at approx 9.15 am, followed immediately by the second practice.
We try to get the first competitive runs in before lunch; (lunch break is normally 45mins)
Competitive runs continue throughout the afternoon.
We aim to finish by 5 pm, with awards presented immediately afterwards.
We send the cars up the hill at roughly 30-second intervals, in batches of around 15 – 20 cars. Because of the limited size of the holding area at the top of the hill, we then have to bring each batch of cars back down the course before we let the next batch have a go. So there will be breaks in the competitive runs which also enable us to briefly open the spectator crossing points halfway up the hill to allow people to cross. You must only cross the course at the designated crossing points, and only when allowed to do so by the marshals. Please be patient if there’s a break and you are still having to wait. There will be a good reason for the delay that the marshals know about and they will let you cross as soon as it’s safe.
We hope you enjoy your visit to Barbon. If you have any questions about the day’s events, do please ask.
(Barbon Park is an active hill farm for the rest of the year and home to sheep and cattle, so be aware that ground conditions are variable and may not suit everyone, particularly those with mobility issues. The times quoted are approximate and could be subject to weather and safety considerations.)
Spectacular Barbon – The view from the top. Photo Courtesy of Tim Blacker
Can you help us?
Motorsport won’t happen without our dedicated band of volunteer marshals. But we always want more!
Would you be interested in helping us run the events?
We are always in need of more marshals and we are particularly keen to welcome new or experienced marshals to Barbon. So if you’d like to help marshal the course, help at the start line or maybe in the paddock area, we’d be very happy to hear from you. You don’t have to be a member of a motor club, nor do you need a set of those fetching orange fire-resistant overalls (though it’s a good idea!). If you are inexperienced, we will always place you with our regular marshals to learn the ropes.
For more information about helping, without obligation, please contact our chief marshal Paul H Smith by copying his email address into your mail service, just replace <at> with @ before sending. Chief Marshal: gphsmith<at>holtlane.com
Useful Links:-
Click below to visit our Barbon Hillclimb Facebook Pages with a fantastic selection of Barbon photos, old & new:-
The Official Barbon Hillclimb Facebook Page
Friends of Barbon Hillclimb Facebook Page
Kirkby Lonsdale Motor Club
Liverpool Motor Club
Association of North Western Car Clubs
Association of Northern Car Clubs
Motorsport UK
British Hillclimb Championship
Hillclimb Records at Hillclimbing.org
Local Information:-
The Barbon Inn – great food and accommodation
The Churchmouse at Barbon – village store, cafe and delicatessen all rolled into one!
Visit Barbondale
Cumbria Life Magazine
Lancashire Local Business Directory
The Pheasant Inn, Casterton 6 mins from Barbon
Crooklands Hotel, just off the M6 – J36 Kendal
(Please mention Barbon Hillclimb when contacting local hotels)
The car events at Barbon are promoted by Barbon Hillclimb Ltd, a joint venture between Kirkby Lonsdale Motor Club & Liverpool Motor Club. Any surplus from the events is used to maintain the venue for the future.
We are supporting North West Blood Bikes (Lancashire & Lakes)
“A voluntary organisation that provides urgent support to the NHS in our region”
…….. Our Next Ride May Save a Life …….
NW Blood Bikes provide a Free, but professional voluntary out-of-hours transport service to our local NHS hospitals by carrying urgent and emergency blood, platelets, samples, donor breast milk, patient notes, theatre equipment, in fact, anything that is urgently required that can be carried by motorcycle, between hospitals.
They provide this service through the night, at weekends and on Bank Holidays enabling hospital funding to be better spent on patient care. You can help their volunteers by making a donation today. www.nwbb-lancs.org
To make a donation, or for more information, just click on their logo below.
North West Blood Bikes, Lancashire & Lakes, would like to thank everyone who made a donation to the charity again last year, particularly those competitors who added £1 or more to their entry fee as a donation to the fund, and also everyone who donated at the two Barbon events. Thanks to your generosity, NWBB has now received over £4000 from Barbon competitors, marshals and spectators which will help keep the Blood Bikes on the road to serve the emergency needs of people in the North West.
Last updated 12/7/2023
