Moors the Merrier for 2025 drive

Pencil in the dates of 8th to 11th August 2025 and prepare to drive in the wheel tracks of some of motor sport history’s greatest ‘Greats’ (writes Guild committee member John Griffiths).

Earlier this year the Guild decided to suspend its traditional Euro ‘Classic’ in the face of steeply rising ferry and other costs. And so now for something completely (well quite a lot) different – an event cheaper and more accessible to Guild members, with entries not confined to ‘classic’ cars.

Just outside the scenic Yorkshire Moors town of Holmfirth, where the much-loved Last of the Summer Wine TV series was filmed, lies – or rather soars – Holme Moss. Its moorland summit (pictured above) is almost 2,000ft above sea level, its iconic transmitter mast 750 feet higher yet. For many miles around also soar and plummet some of the most scenic, challenging and – happily – largely deserted roads to be found in England. 

This year has seen the final event celebrating the centenary of the very first Holme Moss hillclimb, in its earliest days echoing to the sound of automotive monsters driven by legends such as Sir Henry Segrave and Malcolm Campbell.

However, Guild heritage officer Guy Loveridge, whose team has led the Holme Moss revival, and Christianne Ireland, daughter of the late F1 and Le Mans ace Innes, plan to ensure that the spirit of Holme Moss lives on next August.

On that weekend, as the successor to the centenary hillclimb runs, Guy and Christianne will be heading up the Ireland Motor Racing Northern Gathering, a touring event in further celebration of Home Moss’ motoring history.

Guy and Christianne have indicated that the Guild would be welcome to associate with the Gathering. So it is our intention to seek a block booking of hotel space, hopefully including the option of either a two or three-night hotel stay, the latter allowing Guild participants to spend additional time further exploring the region’s spectacular scenery and places of interest.

Our two-night target is to keep the principle cost of taking part – a hotel inclusive of both breakfast and dinner – to a ceiling of £500 per crew, with a proportionately lower charge for staying more than two nights. There remains primarily thereafter, only the cost of fuel.

We believe that this event, with its sporting overtones and much lower costs than the traditional Classic, should provide a welcome opportunity to enthuse the younger members of the Guild who, after all, represent its future.

So we ask that members keen to take part please send expressions of interest as early as possible to John Griffiths, in order to help secure hotel bookings.