Golding Barn Raceway

Fancy a day motocross riding in Sussex?

• motocross

On a Sunday in early May we decided to head out into the Sussex countryside to check out a local off road motorcycle track at Golding Barn near Small Dole. The weather had decided to be kind, there were bluebells everywhere and the sun was smiling down on the beautiful landscape spread out around us. The kind of day when you need to be outside soaking up the sun - so off we went.


Nestled in a valley in the heart of the beautiful Sussex Downs is the Golding Barn Raceway.  Driving up from the A2037 you can only very faintly catch the muffled sound of engines revving, until you suddenly round a corner in the lane and all is revealed.  Before you, cupped in the curve of the hills is a well organised and energetic collection of folks on motorcycles all swooping round the valley on a track perfectly designed to test both their mettle and their ability to control their bikes.  


Golding Barn’s professional motocross practice and race tracks are one of those increasingly rare places in the modern world, where motorcyclists can still have fun, push themselves and hone their riding skills in a well organised environment where they are still free to take a few calculated risks.  All levels of skill and experience are catered for on these permanent practice and competition tracks, so anyone of any ability can have a go.  

At the front is a novice track with a posse of little kids and complete beginners zooming round it.
This circuit is near the little cafe, nicely positioned so that their parents can watch them and cheer them on from behind the fence while having a cup of tea...and  with the added bonus of a sunny day what could be nicer?  The kids are aged between 6–16 and are riding bikes of up to 75cc and they are all going for it to the best of their ability, depending on their level of experience. They are clearly having a fantastic time enjoying an activity which is giving them physical confidence, great balance and coordination and is very physically active allowing them to let off steam after a week of sitting behind a school desk.

Once this track is safely mastered and riders move up to larger bikes, they graduate to the next track which is much more demanding.  
Here they can (from the age of 16 once they are on a bike which is over 75ccs) up their skill levels even further on a more testing circuit.

On the main track, riders are grouped according to ability and experience and ride in sessions with other riders of similar ability which makes for a safer and more enjoyable ride for all.

The riders on the main track are a sight to see – really able and confident riders circle the circuit tackling the bends and hills with enthusiasm, taking off over the jumps like stunt riders and flying through the air to land on the track without even a pause for breath.  Some of the riders have such mastery of their machines that they look as if they are part of them, choosing the perfect line for take off and landing as they floating through the jumps with practised ease and skill.


When there is a slip or a bike which stalls, the marshals who are stationed all around the tracks watching everything, raise a yellow warning flag to let following riders know to be careful ahead – should it be a more serious fall and the riding needs to be stopped to get a bike off the track then they raise a red flag.  
Although the riders are free to enjoy themselves, safety is paramount and ever vigilant marshals with radios are positioned all round the track and a paramedic is on site at all times in case of mishaps.
Riders pay for the day which usually consists of 5 or 6, 15-20 minutes sessions on the circuit they have chosen.  At the end of the 15-20 minutes session a final chequered flag is raised to signal that it’s time for a cup of tea and a rest before the next session.  And by the looks of it the riders need a rest before they get back out there, although we didn’t see one who wasn’t smiling!



Watching the riders in action the sheer enjoyment the activity generates is very evident.  When we were there, there was a schoolboy group on bikes up to 85cc. setting off in a herd full of energy and excitement as they headed off up to the track.  It is clearly a great way to gain a really solid set of motorcycle handling skills and increase confidence off road which can be transferred to road riding.  This inevitably increases riders competence and therefore safety and enjoyment, even if they are simply riding a motorcycle on a daily commute.

Riders don't need a licence to ride at Golding Barn as it is private land, off road - all they need is their bike and kit, then they just sign a disclaimer and off they go.  Most of the motorcycles there are motocross bikes and arrive in a van or on a trailer, but some riders come on road legal enduro bikes.
Many folks there are regulars at Golding Barn, either racers and practising professional riders or amateurs out for a great day out on their bikes.  There are lots of families as well making a day out of it enjoying riding or watching. The track is owned and run by brothers Danny and Steve Beamish.  Steve is an ex professional motocrosser with national international and Grand Prix experience. Danny also has a wealth of national and international competition experience under his belt, so between them they really understand the requirements of moto-crossers.  
The track has been in use for competition racing since the 1950s when the Beamish family first held races there. Then the races were mainly run by the Brighton and District Motorcycle Club and events included the famous Sunbeam Point to Point race which was twice held there.  For further history of the track and the Beamishs’ personal racing history, check out the Golding Barn website GoldingBarn History
Today Golding Barn Raceway is a thriving motocross circuit, often fully booked out particularly at the weekends.  The success of the tracks is down to several factors.  Firstly the land is ideally suited to the activity. Set in a natural and very beautiful valley in the South Downs the hills provide the perfect slopes to challenge the riders with a hard packed track surface, all contained in the curve of the hills so that the sound of the engines is absorbed by the natural landscape.

The tracks are very well maintained by Danny who dampens them down with water between race days to keep the dust down, allowing the water to run off into small ponds strategically dug around the courses to collect it. Any ruts in the tracks formed by the bikes are leveled out with tractors before the next day’s riding begins, leaving a track which is as good at new for the next set of riders.  

Hundreds of trees have been planted around the valley since Danny and Steve started running the tracks. These trees, which Steve looks after, serve multiple functions: binding the Downs soil with their roots to keep it in place and the dust down, providing shade for spectators and sound insulation, a home for wildlife and just generally improving the aesthetic environment in the valley for everyone to enjoy.  Steve and Danny who grew up here, so have an intimate connection with the land, spend their time between trackdays working on the land to keep it in top condition for riders and preserve and improve the beautiful environment which they are custodians of.

If you have an off road motorcycle this is a great way to spend a Sunday or a Wednesday whatever your level of riding experience and skill. And in between rides you can enjoy a companionable cup of tea and a snack or walk up along the track to see other riders in action and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the valley.
Steve or Danny are on hand to offer advice or answer any questions you might have.  The only advisory is ... get there in time in the morning as this is such a popular place that it gets full up quickly and is offered on a first come first served basis.
If you don't have your own bike yet but would like a chance to try motocross riding, even if you are a complete beginner you can have a go at the Yamaha Experience which runs at Golding Barn twice a month.This is an off road motorcycle course which gives riders a chance to learn off roading and try out all Yamaha's off road bikes to see what they are like in action.  Golding Barn is a great circuit for this as it has an easy novice circuit so that even complete beginners can have a go with confidence.
In fact looking at the photos the sun had obviously gone in but we were enjoying ourselves so much that we didn't even notice!
For further trackdays, event information and directions check out the Golding Barn website
If you have been to Golding Barn or have any comments drop us a line at: [email protected]