The bricks lining the Festival of Speed startline are 100 years old and a gift from the Indianapolis Speedway "Brickyard" in 2011 to mark their centenary event!
Sir Stirling Moss was one of the founding patrons of the Festival of Speed, and a regular competitor at the Revival.
King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
The Motor Circuit was known as RAF Westhampnett, active from 1940 to 1946 as a Battle of Britain station.
Ensure you take a little time out together to pause and take in the celebration of all the hard work you put in will be a treasured memory.
Built in 1787 by celebrated architect James Wyatt to house the third Duke of Richmond’s prized fox hounds, The Kennels was known as one of the most luxurious dog houses in the world!
Each room has it's own button to ring for James (your butler) whenever and whatever you need him for.
Easy boy! The charismatic Farnham Flyer loved to celebrate every win with a pint of beer. His Boxer dog, Grogger, did too and had a tendancy to steal sips straight from the glass.
Festival of Speed is our longest-standing Motorsport event, starting in 1993 when it opened to 25,00 people. We were expecting 2000!
Spectate from the chicane at the Revival to see plenty of classic cars going sideways as they exit this infamous point of our Motor Circuit.
Sir Stirling Moss was one of the founding patrons of the Festival of Speed, and a regular competitor at the Revival.
Goodwood Motor Circuit was officially opened in September 1948 when Freddie March, the 9th Duke and renowned amateur racer, tore around the track in a Bristol 400
The Fiat S76 or "Beast of Turin" is a Goodwood favourite and can usually be heard before it is seen at #FOS
Our replica of the famous motor show showcases the "cars of the future" in true Revival style
Sir Stirling Moss was one of the founding patrons of the Festival of Speed, and a regular competitor at the Revival.
The first ever horsebox was used from Goodwood to Doncaster for the 1836 St. Leger. Elis arrived fresh and easily won his owner a £12k bet.
King Edward VII (who came almost every year) famously dubbed Glorious Goodwood “a garden party with racing tacked on”.
Leading women of business, sport, fashion and media, take part in one of the most exciting horseracing events in the world.
The first public race meeting took place in 1802 and, through the nineteenth century, ‘Glorious Goodwood,’ as the press named it, became a highlight of the summer season
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
The red & yellow of the Racecourse can be traced back hundreds of years, even captured in our stunning Stubbs paintings in the Goodwood Collection
The iconic spitfire covered almost 43,000 kilometres and visited over 20 countries on its epic journey and currently resides at our Aerodrome.
The first thing ever dropped at Goodwood was a cuddly elephant which landed in 1932 just as the 9th Duke of Richmonds passion for flying was taking off.
The first ever round of golf played at Goodwood was in 1914 when the 6th Duke of Richmond opened the course on the Downs above Goodwood House.
The origins of the collection lay in the possessions of Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth, and Duchess of Aubigny in France, to whom some of the paintings originally belonged.
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
The first ever round of golf played at Goodwood was in 1914 when the 6th Duke of Richmond opened the course on the Downs above Goodwood House.
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
Flying training began at Goodwood in 1940 when pilots were taught operational flying techniques in Hurricanes and Spitfires.
The famous fighter ace, who flew his last sortie from Goodwood Aerodrome, formerly RAF Westhampnett has a statue in his honor within the airfield.
The origins of the collection lay in the possessions of Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth, and Duchess of Aubigny in France, to whom some of the paintings originally belonged.
Ensure you take a little time out together to pause and take in the celebration of all the hard work you put in will be a treasured memory.
One of the greatest golfers of all time, James Braid designed Goodwood’s iconic Downland course, opened in 1914.
Built in 1787 by celebrated architect James Wyatt to house the third Duke of Richmond’s prized fox hounds, The Kennels was known as one of the most luxurious dog houses in the world!
The Motor Circuit was known as RAF Westhampnett, active from 1940 to 1946 as a Battle of Britain station.
We have been host to many incredible film crews using Goodwood as a backdrop for shows like Downton Abbey, Hollywood Blockbusters like Venom: let there be Carnage and the Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Easy boy! The charismatic Farnham Flyer loved to celebrate every win with a pint of beer. His Boxer dog, Grogger, did too and had a tendancy to steal sips straight from the glass.
Testament to the 19th-century fascination with ancient Egypt and decorative opulence. The room is richly detailed with gilded cartouches, sphinxes, birds and crocodiles.
The first thing ever dropped at Goodwood was a cuddly elephant which landed in 1932 just as the 9th Duke of Richmonds passion for flying was taking off.
Our gin uses wild-grown botanicals sourced from the estate, and is distilled with mineral water naturally chalk-filtered through the South Downs.
Whoa Simon! A horse so determined and headstrong, he not only won the 1883 Goodwood Cup by 20 lengths, but couldn't be stopped and carried on running over the top of Trundle hill
The Motor Circuit was known as RAF Westhampnett, active from 1940 to 1946 as a Battle of Britain station.
The oldest existing rules for the game were drawn up for a match between the 2nd Duke and a neighbour
Discover Canaletto's paintings at Goodwood, by Elen Walker
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The Goodwood Collection houses a number of oil paintings by the Venetian artist, Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto.
Whilst several depict scenes of Venice typically associated with the artist, more unusually two of the works portray different views of London from the first floor of Richmond House, the north facing London residence of the Dukes of Richmond in the 18th century. The house had been built by the 2nd Duke of Richmond in the 1730s to designs by Lord Burlington, with interiors done by William Kent. It boasted the Richmond House theatre, and in the later 18th century, a sculpture gallery for budding artists.
Relatively little is known about what the interiors of Richmond House looked like, but Canaletto allows us a glimpse of what the family looked out onto in 1747 when they gazed through the first-floor windows. To one side was Whitehall and the Privy Gardens, and in his picture, Whitehall and the Privy Garden from Richmond House, Canaletto captures in minute detail the buildings that survived the terrible fire of Whitehall Palace of 1698. The end of Inigo Jones’s Banqueting House can be seen, with its classical façade just discernible through the inclusion of the columns. This was where the 2nd Duke of Richmond’s great-grandfather, Charles I had been executed in 1649. Also peeking out in this painting is the Holbein Gate, which was built by King Henry VIII, and was the site of his secret marriage to Anne Boleyn in 1533. Whilst the Banqueting House can still be visited, the Holbein Gate was demolished just over ten years after this was painted. The picture also captures the Privy Gardens, and in doing so excellently demonstrates the culture of the eighteenth-century English elite. Expensive to enter, the garden was used as a way to be seen in society, parade in front of suitors and was a hive of gossip. The delicate figures with their exuberant clothing highlights not only the style of Canaletto’s works but also contemporary views of fashion.
The second view Canaletto presents the viewer with is one of the Thames. The Thames and the City of London from Richmond House artfully depicts the buzzing atmosphere of the river from the window bay of the first-floor dining room, as well as the waterfront terrace of Richmond House and the sweeping London cityscape of the eighteenth century. Dominating the skyline is St Paul’s Cathedral, as well as all of Sir Christopher Wren’s 51 church spires. The inclusion of all of these reveal that Canaletto was not necessarily painting exactly what he saw, but rather an idealised view. Canaletto famously sketched from different perspectives and angles, and made up his composition by putting these sketches together to achieve the best possible picture. Also discernible is Old Somerset House, before it was altered by Sir William Chambers, with its trees running down to the river, as well as Montagu House next to the Richmond House terrace. The corner of the green Chinese pavilion that can be spotted next to the house can be still seen at Boughton House today. The manipulation of light to create a northern glimmer in the sky displays the impressive contemporary skills of Canaletto. Canaletto’s focus on the Thames and the barges of the livery companies excellently demonstrates the importance of the river to 18th century life; the river was the main form of transport, and was important for business and commerce.
The two works were commissioned by the 2nd Duke of Richmond in 1747, and the commissions launched Canaletto’s career in England. Up until this point Canaletto had been working in Venice, selling Venetian scenes to English aristocratic young gentlemen who visited Venice as part of the Grand Tour. The 2nd Duke acquired four Venetian scenes on copper from Canaletto when the artist was still in Venice through his contact Owen McSwiny. However, in the 1740s Canaletto’s work in Venice began to dry up due to the Wars of the Austrian Succession Crisis. Canaletto made the move to England in order to further his career prospects, and in 1746 he arrived with a letter of introduction from Joseph Smith, a self-created art dealer, to McSwiny, his ultimate target being the patronage of The Duke of Richmond. Despite being drunk at a dinner hosted by the 2nd Duke of Montagu, McSwiny gave Canaletto’s recommendation to another guest, Tom Hill, a friend, and former tutor of the 2nd Duke, who thought it best that Canaletto be commissioned to paint a river scene from Richmond House which was accepted by The Duke. It may be that initially one larger scene that took in both the Privy Gardens and the Thames was planned, as this exists in sketch from by Canaletto in the Goodwood Collection.
The paintings today hang at Goodwood House above the fireplaces in the Long Hall, the oldest part of the house. It is thought they were painted specifically for these spots, as the canvases are unusually square for Canaletto and fit perfectly the square spaces above the classical chimneypieces. Sitting beside the fireplaces, the 2nd Duke could look out through the windows opposite and see the rolling Sussex landscape, and if he missed the activity and excitement of the capital, he could cast his eye up to the Canalettos and be absorbed in the commercial and social buzz of city life.
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The two paintings can be viewed by Guided Tour on our Open Days
Article by Elen Walker
Goodwood House
Goodwood House Tea and Tour
Stories from the Collection