The Belmond British Pullman to the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2027: A glorious celebration of Britain’s motoring and railway heritage

The roar of racing engines beneath the Sussex Downs. The quiet elegance of a beautifully restored Pullman carriage. On Friday 16 July 2027, CountryClubuk Members can enjoy both in one memorable summer’s day

There can be few more exhilarating contrasts in the English summer. One moment, the quiet luxury of a beautifully restored British Pullman carriage, with crisp linen, polished marquetry and the countryside passing beyond the windows. A little later, the unmistakable sound of a racing engine climbing the hill past Goodwood House.

At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, some of the world’s most celebrated racing cars and motorcycles gather in the parkland of one of England’s great country houses. Historic Formula 1 machines, legendary racing cars and remarkable modern creations take to the famous hillclimb, while visitors enjoy the rare opportunity to admire these extraordinary machines at close quarters.

And what finer way to reach Goodwood than aboard the magnificent Belmond British Pullman, travelling from London Victoria with Champagne, fine dining and all the pleasures of Britain’s golden age of luxury rail travel?

Goodwood — a great English sporting tradition

Goodwood has been part of the sporting life of England for centuries. Set amid the rolling landscape of the South Downs, the estate is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Richmond, with traditions embracing horse racing, country pursuits and, in more recent times, motor racing.

Its celebrated motor circuit opened in September 1948, using the perimeter roads of a former wartime airfield. Among the competitors at that first meeting was a young Stirling Moss, who celebrated his first racing victory at Goodwood — the beginning of a remarkable association with the circuit.

During the years that followed, Goodwood became one of Britain’s great racing venues. Juan Manuel Fangio, Mike Hawthorn, Graham Hill, John Surtees and Jack Brabham were among the celebrated drivers who competed here. So too were Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart, who in 1965 set identical lap records in their Lotus and BRM respectively — a record they share to this day.

These were the great names of an unforgettable era of motor racing, when the sight of Moss in a Ferrari or Clark in a Lotus could draw enormous crowds to the Sussex circuit.

Regular international racing came to an end in 1966. But Goodwood’s passion for speed was far from over.

In 1993, the Duke of Richmond, then Lord March, brought motor racing back to the estate in a new and imaginative form. Instead of racing around the circuit, historic cars and motorcycles would climb a winding stretch of road through the parkland of Goodwood House.

The first Festival of Speed attracted some 25,000 visitors. Today, it is one of the world’s great gatherings of racing machinery, celebrated drivers, beautiful automobiles and the latest achievements in automotive engineering.

Something of that first country-house occasion remains. Goodwood is still a summer gathering in magnificent parkland, with the house as its backdrop and the sound of racing engines carrying across the Sussex countryside.

The famous Goodwood hillclimb

The heart of the Festival is a 1.16-mile stretch of road that winds past Goodwood House and its flint walls before climbing through the trees.

Here, more than a century of motoring history comes vividly to life. The Festival celebrates not only the machines but the men and women who made them famous. Over the years, generations of champions have returned to Goodwood, from the heroes of the circuit’s early days to the Formula 1 legends of more recent decades. Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Mario Andretti and Mika Häkkinen are among the great names who have appeared at the Festival, bringing the memories of their racing careers vividly back to life.

A beautifully preserved racing car from the early years of the sport may be followed by a Formula 1 machine from a later generation. Then comes a modern supercar, a powerful motorcycle or an extraordinary piece of contemporary engineering.

Their appearance, sound and speed could scarcely be more different. Yet all must negotiate the same twists, corners and rising gradient of the Goodwood hill.

In 2022, former Formula 1 driver Max Chilton completed the course in just 39.08 seconds in the remarkable electric McMurtry Spéirling — a record-breaking demonstration of how far automotive technology has advanced.

The older cars can be every bit as captivating. Their exposed mechanical details, distinctive shapes and unmistakable engine notes recall the courage and ingenuity of earlier generations of drivers and designers.

Unlike the machines in a museum, these cars are here to be driven.

For CountryClubuk Members, the day includes a Roving Grandstand Pass, giving access to all twelve public grandstands. Different viewpoints reveal different aspects of the hillclimb, from the approach past the house to the cars accelerating towards the finish.

Beautiful cars, great engineering and the pleasure of discovery

The Festival is much more than a succession of cars racing up a hill.

On the lawns near Goodwood House, the Cartier Style et Luxe brings together some of the world’s most beautiful and historically significant automobiles.

Here, the emphasis shifts from outright speed to elegance and craftsmanship — the graceful lines of a coachbuilt grand tourer, the curve of a bonnet, the sweep of a wing, the intricacy of a radiator grille. Details that speak of an age when the finest motor cars were often as much individual works of art as feats of engineering.

The setting could scarcely be more appropriate: remarkable automobiles displayed against the backdrop of an English country house and its gardens.

Elsewhere, the paddocks offer another pleasure. Visitors can see racing cars at close quarters as mechanics prepare them for their runs. Engines are warmed, bodywork is inspected and the intricate workings of these extraordinary machines are there to be admired.

There is the excitement of the Forest Rally Stage, where rally cars tackle a twisting woodland course. And throughout the Festival, celebrated international manufacturers display remarkable road cars, new technology and some of the most ambitious creations in modern motoring.

It is this variety that makes Goodwood so appealing.

One need not be a devoted follower of Formula 1. There is something here for anyone who appreciates history, design, craftsmanship, engineering — or simply the atmosphere of a great British sporting occasion.

The British Pullman — another golden age of engineering

Our day begins in rather more tranquil surroundings.

At London Victoria, the Belmond British Pullman awaits, its handsome carriages recalling an era when the railway journey itself was something to savour.

Step aboard and the details begin to reveal themselves: polished brass, intricate marquetry, richly upholstered armchairs, softly glowing lamps and tables laid with crisp white linen.

Each carriage has a history of its own. Built during the 1920s and 1930s, these beautifully restored Pullman cars once formed part of Britain’s great railway tradition. Some carried royalty and distinguished passengers; others served on the celebrated express routes of the last century.

They are a reminder that the railway carriage, like the finest motor car, could be an expression of craftsmanship, design and engineering ambition.

One of the particular pleasures of our Goodwood day is the chance to experience two different chapters of British transport history, each preserved and celebrated in its own distinctive way.

As the train leaves London, a sparkling Bellini is served. Then comes a leisurely three-course brunch, prepared with seasonal ingredients and presented by the Pullman’s attentive stewards.

Beyond the windows, the city gives way to the summer countryside. Inside, conversation flows, the table is beautifully laid and the gentle movement of the train provides its own accompaniment.

For Members who have already travelled aboard the British Pullman, it will be a welcome return to a familiar pleasure. For those making their first journey, there is much to discover.

Ahead lies Goodwood, with an altogether different kind of excitement awaiting us.

A summer’s day at the Festival of Speed

On reaching Chichester, Belmond’s own liveried coach will take us to Goodwood for the Festival, returning us to the station later in the day.

There is no prescribed way to enjoy the occasion. Some Members may choose to follow the action on the hillclimb, moving between grandstands as successive generations of racing machinery take to the course.

Others may prefer the elegance of the Cartier Style et Luxe, the fascination of the paddocks or the excitement of the rally cars in the woods.

And there is pleasure simply in wandering through the grounds, discovering remarkable machines, admiring the setting and absorbing the sights and sounds of the Festival.

The great attraction of Goodwood is the closeness of it all. These are not merely famous names or distant images on a screen. They are real cars, with remarkable histories, being prepared, started and driven before our eyes.

The spectacle is international, but its setting and character remain unmistakably British: an English country estate, a sporting tradition and a shared enthusiasm for ingenuity, craftsmanship and speed.

Champagne and dinner on the journey home

By early evening, the sound of racing engines gives way once more to the gentle rhythm of the railway.

Back aboard the British Pullman, a Champagne reception awaits us as we begin our return journey to London.

The tables are laid for a three-course dinner, accompanied by selected wine. Beyond the windows, the countryside slips past in the evening light.

After the excitement of Goodwood, there is something particularly agreeable about returning to the quiet elegance of the Pullman — time to enjoy dinner, exchange impressions of the day and recall the cars, the sights and the sounds that have made it memorable.

The exhilaration of Goodwood. The unhurried elegance of the British Pullman. Two great British traditions, brought together for one glorious summer’s day.

RESERVE YOUR PLACE

The British Pullman to the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Friday 16 July 2027

Belmond’s public fare is £870 per person.

CountryClubuk Members: £770 per person — saving £100 each.

Your day includes:

Return travel aboard the Belmond British Pullman from London Victoria

A welcome sparkling Bellini

Three-course brunch on the outward journey

Morning tea and coffee

Return transfers between Chichester station and Goodwood aboard Belmond’s liveried coach

Admission to the Goodwood Festival of Speed

A Roving Grandstand Pass giving access to all twelve public grandstands

Champagne reception aboard the Pullman on the return journey

Three-course dinner, with half a bottle of wine per person

Tea, coffee and petits fours

Expected timings: Depart London Victoria at approximately 8.00am; return at approximately 10.00pm. Final timings are subject to confirmation.

CountryClubuk has up to 20 places held for Members. Early reservations are recommended.

Make your reservations here now in the Club shop.

We very much hope you will join us for this splendid occasion.

Discover the advantages of CountryClubuk Membership

Not yet a Member? Join CountryClubuk and enjoy our exclusive £770 fare for this exceptional British Pullman journey — £100 less than Belmond’s public price — together with a world of carefully selected hotels, luxury travel, sporting occasions, fine wines and other Club privileges.

Explore CountryClubuk Membership and how to join →