Although much of the Members' Banking still survives its fate was sealed many years ago when the tobacco company Gallahers were given planning permission by Elmbridge Borough Council to flatten first section of it to the ground and built an office complex on top of it. 

If they had built their offices a couple of hundred yards away the Members' Banking would have been saved, but it was not to be. It was beyond the wit of man, as it so often is in this world, to do the sensible thing for the longer term. 

The effect of this was to deprive Brooklands of even a simple circuit along which cars could be driven either for minor motor races or just for parades.  

We were therefore deprived of any chance of a future track revival and in the process Brooklands' morally insensitive but commercially attractive emasculation was allowed to get under way. 

The picture above shows John Cobb's Napier Railton half way along the Members' Banking. 

The lower arches in the distance are those of the Hennebique Bridge spanning the River Wey. The low wall immediately to the left is above the entrance to a tunnel which goes under the track originally employed as a spectators' entrance. 

In the next photograph above you can see the same view but from 700 metres back, taken in March 2002. And below, looking back in the direction of Gallaghers offices. Parts of the concrete are still quite good, others urgently need to be resurfaced. Being the end of winter there is some moss to be cleared for the coming season.

Although Gallahers went on to lease the ground which now forms the museum to the Brooklands Museum Trust and to spend a considerable amount of money getting the museum going, for which we must undoubtedly commend them,  it has still sadly not changed the fact that the Members' Banking entrance section was destroyed forever. We can not put it back. That, as the lawyers would say, is a matter of fact.

The Members' Banking is the only Brooklands banking that museum visitors see. As can be seen from the photographs a reasonable sweep heads off to the original site of the Hennebique Bridge which spanned the River Wey, forming the notorious 'bump' which yielded so many great photographs of cars with all four wheels off the ground.

The banking does not look steep, but it is. Climbing to the top requires real effort and getting down again without slipping or falling even more so. If you visit take great care, it would be easy to have a serious skull-cracking accident.

This picture shows the stalwart Tim Eveleigh on the Brooklands Society tractor clearing leaves from the base of the Members' Banking. Track clearing is an ongoing task which involves a hard core group of our members and without their efforts the track would not be available to the many car clubs who enjoy a run along the banking as part of their events. The time is fast approaching when we will have to undertake some serious resurfacing work to allow this to continue.

To view more track photographs click here.

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