43.6 miles, nineteen Morgans (+ a Caterham, whose owner's Morgan was off the road), ten hills, and one objective – to enjoy the drive through the lovely flowing Chiltern countryside.
Morgans filled The Red Lion car park at Britwell Salome, while their drivers and navigators enjoyed coffee and bacon butties inside, before setting off on our mystery tour.
All we had been told by Richard Cartwright, our event organiser, was that we would be driving up five hills and down five hills which were all carefully chosen as they had an association with historic motor sports and an endurance rally, all about a century ago, and that we should end up at the Harte and Magpies in time for our monthly Sunday Lunchtime Noggin.
Richard had been "biting his nails" right up to the day of the event in case three road closures had not re-opened on time. The third was only cleared at 7pm two days before. The gantry signs on the M40 proclaimed on the day that the second was still closed!
Luckily, Richard provided us with seven pages full of detailed directions, plus a full-size reproduction of the local OS map with our route clearly marked on it – in case we got lost.
From the pub, in two minute intervals, most of us!! drove up Britwell Hill towards The Ridgeway. This hill has a gradient of 1-in-10 and 100 years ago had been used for motorcycle meetings, as well as being featured in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, where the car takes off.
Avoiding taking off, we passed by Watlington Park, once a medieval royal park, and down Lewknor Hill, which was used in the 30s for a “special test” in the Chiltern Trials, before climbing up towards Stokenchurch, a route in 1911 for the Hundred Mile Trial.
Next was Kingston Hill; fortunately, we descended this hill, which we considered the steepest in the whole tour. Goodness knows how cars ascended this in The Automobile Club trial of 1902, when the road was rough gravel, with a gradient of 16.5%.
After passing through Chinnor, we continued to Bledlow Ridge, which was preceded by a hairpin bend described in Richard’s instructions as “vicious”. How right he was. We travelled along the Upper Icknield Way; luckily, no tractors or white-van men were coming towards us, as it is narrow in parts.
Eight miles on, we entered the famous Kop Hill at Princes Risborough. This hill’s notoriety is the result of a spectator being injured during the March Meeting Hill Climb of 1925, and the RAC banning all further sprints and hill climbs on public roads in mainland Britain.
This was followed by a descent of Whiteleaf Hill, with a steep gradient of 18.4%, it is described by the cycling website climbfinder.com as “A climb with a fierce reputation. And it’s well deserved: one of the hardest climbs in the Chilterns.”, and the 7th toughest in the South East of England.
It was therefore no surprise to find plenty of cyclists taking to the Chiltern Hills on this sunny Sunday morning. I’m sure that all the ThamesMOGers taking part in this tour were pleased they were in their trusty steeds and were not having to rely on pedal power.
Continuing along the Upper Icknield Way, now known as the B4009, we were approaching the climax of our journey. Passing the construction of HS2, and RAF Halton, with its Hawker Hunter on display, we arrived at the famous Aston Hill, which was used in Hill Climb competitions between 1904 and 1925. Its enduring claim to fame came when Lionel Martin and his partner Robert Bamford achieved success with their self-built 'special' car, and hence named their fledgling car manufacturing business Aston Martin. The name for the marque was suggested by Lionel's wife Kate, because it would place the company at the top of alphabetical lists and catalogues.
It was now 10 miles towards home, otherwise known as the Harte and Magpies, and our route took us through the leafy lanes of Buckland Common, Hawridge, Chesham, and Amersham-on-the-Hill. It was reassuring to find the pub car park full of Morgans, including a local Morgan owner who just happened to be driving past, who had never heard of ThamesMOG, and who may join us for Sunday Lunch in the future.
We would like to thank Richard and Penny Cartwright for planning and arranging such a splendid tour along roads we never knew existed, up hills full of motoring history 100 years old, and through beautiful countryside. Much to Penny’s surprise, my wife (navigator) and I were still talking at the end of our journey, thanks in part to Richard's superb directions.
Photos provided by ThamesMOG member Dave Williams (Caterham man), and Chitty Chitty photo via YouTube.