Upcoming meetings
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BARC Speed
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- Sep12
Circuit
Castle Combe Circuit is a motor racing venue in Wiltshire, England, close to the village from which it takes its name. The site began as RAF Castle Combe, an airfield opened in May 1941 for wartime pilot training before being decommissioned in 1948. Motor racing started on the former runways in July 1950, organised jointly with the Bristol Motorcycle and Light Car Club, and the venue went on to host national-level car and motorcycle racing in the following decades, including spells of British Formula 3 and British GT. A fatal accident involving a spectator in 1997 led the owners to add two chicanes to slow the lap, and the resulting 2.977 km (1.85-mile), twelve-turn configuration was completed over the 1998-99 winter and remains the circuit's only verified current layout. Noise restrictions in the mid-2000s curtailed the return of some national championships, and the circuit has since operated mainly as a club-racing venue. It now runs its own championships for saloon, sports and single-seater classes alongside visiting clubs, car and motorcycle track days, circuit hire, an ARDS-accredited driving school and an annual rally stage. As of October 2026 its calendar includes club race meetings, a Halloween show and a stage rally running into November.
Operated by: Castle Combe Circuit Ltd
The only layout at Castle Combe. A smooth, fast circuit with a long main straight (Brabham Straight) and challenging fast corners including Quarry and Bobbies. Noted for its smooth surface and high average speeds.
Notable Corners
Castle Combe Circuit guide
History
What was Castle Combe before it became a racing circuit? The site opened as RAF Castle Combe in May 1941, a wartime pilot-training airfield, and was decommissioned in 1948. Motor racing began on the former runways and perimeter roads in July 1950, organised with the Bristol Motorcycle and Light Car Club. Motorcycle racing ran through the 1950s before the circuit turned mainly to cars, and over the following decades it staged national series including British Formula 3, Formula 5000 and British GT. A fatal accident involving a spectator in 1997 led to the addition of two chicanes, producing the 2.977 km layout used today, and a mid-2000s noise dispute curtailed the return of some national championships, leaving the circuit to focus on club racing.
The circuit
What is the track at Castle Combe like? The only layout independently confirmed as current is the 2.977 km (1.85-mile), twelve-turn Full Circuit, built around the airfield's old runways and perimeter roads. It is a fast, flowing track with few hard braking zones, a legacy of its origins, and its two chicanes, added in 1998-99, are the main concession to slowing the lap. The circuit is used for car and motorcycle racing, track days, circuit hire and driver training; whether motorcycle meetings use a separate configuration could not be confirmed from current sources.
Sources: Castle Combe Circuit (official site); Wikipedia