Currently reading: Autocar's guide to storming the Castle
The fifth Cholmondeley Pageant of Power takes place this weekend, and it's shaping up to be better than ever. Pageant veteran Matt Prior is your guide

The temptation is to call it the Goodwood of the north. The comparisons are inevitable. After all, this event, like the Festival of Speed, majors around historic and important sports cars being driven over a timed, sprint course.

But the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, which takes place this weekend at Cholmondelely Castle, near Crewe, is sufficient different enough from the gig in Lord March’s garden have its own distinct feel, and appeal.

In some ways, the atmosphere around the pretty castle grounds is like Goodwood during the ‘90s: more casual, less crowded. You could argue there are fewer star cars and fewer star drivers at Cholmondeley, but it has a different appeal: there are lots of interesting cars and bikes. Interesting stories surround them. It’s like chamber music rather than an orchestral spectacular.

And although it’s not generally Autocar’s remit to go on about things other than cars, there’s more diversity too. The armed forces blow things up. There are powerboats. Helicopters. A classical concert with fireworks and accompanied by, if it’s anything like last year, deafening cannon.

And, whisper it, for the likes of you and me, it’s worth knowing the course is a cracker, too: on which to both drive and spectate. As the map above shows, it scribes a curved course around the castle, and much of the other activities is sited in the middle. 

It’s easy to stroll from one side to the other, to see the cars for longer, at higher speeds, less likely over the heads of other spectators.

It’s 1.2 miles long, the course, while because after the finish it flows back round to the start, continuous action is possible on track. Each vehicle completes three runs per day.

Where Cholmondeley has suffered in previous years is in the weather. Frankly, it has mostly been atrocious. We’re hoping for better this year for two reasons: camping in the rain is a pain, and I’m going to be driving an Ariel Atom V8 again, hopefully a bit quicker than last year. The Autocar team will also be doing a spot of commentary. Hopefully we’ll see you there.

On board for a lap of Cholmondeley:

Start: Slightly downhill, so necessitates heeling the throttle open while holding the brakes

Bridge 1: Slight curve onto and off of bridge. A little air on the way off. Just about flat in the dry. Not in the wet

Chestnut Avenue: Curved, slightly off-camber. Almost a straight and flat in the dry

Approach to Lodge: Curved approach and difficult to pick a braking point into double apex

Lodge and Vicarage: Two low speed corners under trees. Sideways exit to both likely

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Polo Straight: Flat out, with a high speed, bus stop-style chicane constructed from haybales halfway down

Chapel Corner: Uphill braking zone shortens braking distance. Off camber entry corner, with an tree unnervingly on the outside

Lozenger: Downhill into a dip through slight right. Touch of oversteer possible 

Into Castle: Table-top before tight-left Castle corner. If you leave braking until you’re off the tabletop, it’s too late

Out of Castle: Flat on exit, some oversteer and straight onto bridge whose exit yumps to good air and smooth landing

Finish: Flat-out sprint to finish, then lift and cruise back to paddock

Cholmondeley Pageant of Power runs from 15-17 June, starting at 8am each day. Day tickets cost from £25. Visit cpop.co.uk for more information.

Matt Prior

Matt Prior
Title: Editor-at-large

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013.

Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car. 

Into all things engineering and automotive from any era, Matt is as comfortable regularly contributing to sibling titles Move Electric and Classic & Sports Car as he is writing for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes. 

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toptidy 15 June 2012

Colmondeley

Thanks for the info. but please do not publicise it any more!

I went to the first ever Goodwood Festival and it was great, easy to get in and out, very casual, easy to chat to competitors and see the cars in the pit area, just hugely enjoyable.

Now it is so busy I have given up. After a few years I started going on Fridays instead of Sundays which was much better, but when I last went a few years ago I queued for over 2 hours in jams on Sussex lanes just to get there on the Friday. There were huge crowds present and finally having queued for nearly an hour just to get out I decided that despite the quality of the entries, overall I didn't enjoy going any more.

So if you want to keep Cholmondeley special please do not make it too well-known! I will certainly give it a try myself next year.