Scheduled MonumentsEnglandBrooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial

Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial

England
List entry 1020137
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1020137
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
14.78 hectares
Grid reference
TQ 07097 63024, TQ 06905 62866, TQ 06589 62816, TQ 06836 62267, TQ 06049 61766, TQ 06273 61545, TQ 06788 61626, TQ 07074 62485, TQ 06769 62878, TQ 06950 62635
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Brooklands is a motor racing circuit and aerodrome site in Surrey, England, originally constructed from 1906 onwards as Britain's first purpose-built motor racing track, featuring a distinctive banked concrete circuit. The site retains substantial remains of the pre-war aerodrome infrastructure alongside defensive structures erected during the Second World War, including a Bofors anti-aircraft gun tower and concrete shelters constructed in response to aerial bombardment. The Brooklands memorial stands within the complex as a commemoration of those lost at the facility. The surviving structures represent the site's dual heritage as a pioneering venue for motorsport and aviation development in the early twentieth century and its repurposing as a military installation during the conflict.

Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1020137. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial?

Brooklands is a motor racing circuit and aerodrome site in Surrey, England, originally constructed from 1906 onwards as Britain's first purpose-built motor racing track, featuring a distinctive banked concrete circuit. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1020137.

Who is responsible for protecting Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial?

Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1020137.

What other scheduled monuments are near Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Large multivallate hillfort on St George's Hill (2.2 km), Oatlands Palace (2.6 km), Hengi-form monument at Red Hill (3.7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial

Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial stands on Bracklesham Group And Barton Group (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Eocene. The rock here is sand, silt and clay.

The wider landscape

Around Brooklands motor racing circuit, remains of the pre-World War II aerodrome, World War II Bofors tower and shelters, and the Brooklands memorial

LondonRoman town · ~19.7 milesBattle of Barnet 1471Battle (1471) · ~24.2 miles