My yearning to find a place, experience it for myself is frequently through reading of it, via printed media or on the Internet. Most of the best ruined, abandoned places I have seen in the past have been found this way….Printed media found the ruined houses from the abandoned leper colony off the coast of Crete three decades ago ( Spinalonga, well known now), the disused pit buildings of Reims-Geux Motor racing circuit (read on) and others.
Of course, with the Internet, more of these are known, if they still remain standing. And some are restored to a greater or lesser degree. The best are closely guarded secrets, known to a few Urban Explorers, and I am too compromised health wise to be in that select band!
I read of this place in a weekend newspaper article in the 1990s, because Chris Rea had made a film about the Shark-nosed Ferraris of the early 1960s. I was transfixed by the image of the Pits with the restored Ferrari 156 posing by it for the article, and determined to find it (the place, not the Ferrari) when we were returning from a jaunt in France.
So off we went the next year when we were in the area, and it was a brilliant place for a wander… we could walk up amidst the trees onto the grandstand, through the tunnel under the road and into the pits. It had been left much as it would have been after the last races in the early 1970s
Alas, it’s all been repainted now, the atmosphere largely gone, and access restricted……
– click on any image to start the slideshow.
Inspired by Cathy at Wanderessence here
WordsVisual 
I’ll have to check in later to see the slideshow, although I may not be able to because I don’t think I have JavaScript. But I’m on my iPad while my laptop updates, something that’s taking a very, very long time.
janet
Oh dear….
What a cool place – you can almost hear the sounds and smell the cars in the pit.
Talk about vintage. Could be a sci-fi movie set. Such stories there
Repainted? Access limited. Sad – bet the grounds appreciated your appreciation,
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Is it a working circuit again then, Sue, if it’s been restored? It has pathos written all over it. 🙂 🙂
Oh, no, it’s not.
Seems like a shame if it’s been restored but I presume there isn’t a need. It must cost an arm and a leg to fund a race circuit. 🙂
Well, the main thing here is that most of the old circuit is rural roads…
I had no idea of location but I suppose the name’s a giveaway, Sue 🙂
The name is, indeed, a giveaway, Jo!!
Pathos, indeed
Incidentally, if you link to the main site, Cathy won’t get a pingback so you need to go over there and leave a link? Sorry if it’s none of my business. I was going there already to read today’s post. Hugs, Sue! 🙂
Well, it’s not due until next Thursday??
Sorry, Sue- I usually link to the last one but I don’t know if that’s right. I shall hush. Delete me 🙂 🙂
Oh, OK, perhaps I should do that….and I’m not deleting you, Jo
Cathy might clear it up when she reads this 🙂 🙂
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I’m with you on internet discoveries I’ve been able to visit. Great post and images Sue.
This was pre-Internet! Good old print media was how I found out about it…. Glad you like these images, Hannah!
Always good to see any of these, Sue. So evocative of a bygone age.
Best wishes, Pete.
Most certainly!
I love it when you get discursive and generous with photos. This would appear a strange call to place if one didn’t know you! I really enjoyed your account of the summons to places and then to this particular place. That shot through the broken window is a particular beauty. And thanks to Cathy for the nudge!
I know you like a bit of wordiness, Meg, and rather more images than I usually show….need to check which was my first subject for this prompt, then will post more as time goes on
I also like your solitary images – and admire your restraint!something I rarely practice.
Many thanks, Meg!
Thank goodness you found it and recorded as it was at that time. I still enjoy looking at old maps for castle ruins, in the hope of finding something that has been missed on the internet, maybe one day 🙂
Oh, I like my ruins like this, but alas most stuff is eIther demolished or tarted up these days….
Yes it is a shame, but good that you took photos 🙂
Dilapidation and decay have been my leitmotif for as long as I can remember!
What was the first site you found.
It would have been Tanygrisiau, and Cwmorthin in North Wales….after seeing a photograph of Fay Godwin’s in her book ‘Land’ … In the early 1980s I shall do a post. This was followed soon after by Cwmystwyth …. https://suejudd.com/2018/04/27/y-is-for-ystwyth-valley/
Ah yes, I remember that post now, those images are wonderful. Good job you saw the photo of Fay Godwin……I must get a copy of the book, I goggled her… its funny how one photo can spark something off, look forward to seeing the first ones 🙂
Cwmystwyth was sparked by an article in Country Life, Tanygrisiau/Cwmorthin was sparked by ‘Slate Quarries, backlit Tanygrisiau’ by Godwin
The late Fay Godwin was a marvellous photographer in monochrome…
Yes I have just been looking at some of her work online and read a lovely quote of hers, which at the end says ‘Photography is about images’
…or, I could say ‘photography is about moments’
Yes I would agree 🙂
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Cathy has certainly prodded us into rethinking our posts. I find it very interesting to read back stories about why, how and where bloggers in our community group did things in the past. Very interesting story and photos Sue
Many thanks,Pauline!
What a place, Sue! I think we are so often drawn to places through printed media or by reading about them online, and I bet you were thrilled to find this one. I always find it fascinating what draws people to a place, and why. It seems you are very attracted to ruins, as am I, so I certainly understand your interest. Plus, I believe I remember you used to travel in a race car or vintage car, didn’t you? (I’m sorry, I’m not a car enthusiast so can’t remember details about them!). So of course the picture with the Ferrari would have called to you as well. Wonderful. I’m glad Jo had you link to the latest post about call to place, otherwise, she’s right, I wouldn’t have gotten the pingback. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing this! 🙂
It was a fantastic find, back in the day…a most atmospheric ruin in the middle of rural France, and there for us to clamber over with impunity….. One of the best ruins I’ve enjoyed… Thinking about, all the best ones were in the 1980s. Oh, and yes, I was a petrolhead, used to have a lot of fun in an old sportscar!
Oh, I love those kinds of ruins where you can clamber with impunity. I used to find a lot of those kinds of ruins in Oman. Not a soul around and we could explore the place all by ourselves with no one around to ruin the atmosphere. Yes, the sportscar. I remember that now. 🙂
Yep, it was here: https://suejudd.com/2018/03/29/anticipating-travels-a-bit-of-a-reminisce/
Yes, I remember now. It was one of the first posts I linked to mine. 😊😊
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Places like this just do not last! It’s good you got there when you did, thanks to your research.
Absolutely!
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