One local resident reacted to the large group of “weirdly clad” men hanging around in the dark by “retiring to her cottage in haste to bolt and bar the door”!
The competitors had to not only cover 314 miles on narrow, usually dirt roads using feeble headlights but also brave challenging weather, with “many devoutly wishing they had carried at least one more coat”.
Proceeding through the night, they had to endure an ice-cold mist and could barely see the road ahead.
“There can be no doubt that Porlock proves one of the most exacting portions of the trial and on this occasion provided some interesting and exciting results,” we said of the following hill.
Plenty of competitors cleared it, 26 of them at or above the required average speed of 18mph, despite its intimidating gradient and sharp hairpin bends – even a large saloon with six aboard.
An even more challenging climb lay ahead: Lynton Hill. Here drivers had to average at least a strenuous 19.4mph, and it certainly delivered on the entertainment front.
“Tired drivers and mud-spattered cars were eagerly awaited by a considerable crowd which lined the sides,” we said. “The surface was in a very treacherous condition due to rain overnight, and many sidecars had failed due to a lack of adhesion from their single wheels.”
