Severn Motoring Events Calendar: Top Car Shows and Meets in 2024

Ask anyone who spends their weekends at Prescott or Shelsley Walsh and they will tell you the same thing: you do not need to trek to Silverstone or Goodwood to have a proper motoring day out. The Severn region — from the Shropshire hills down through Worcestershire and Gloucestershire to the estuary — is dense with hill climbs, sprint venues, circuit track days and low-key breakfast meets. What follows is a working calendar for 2024: the events worth planning around, the places that host them, and the small practicalities that separate a great day from a frustrating one. Dates shift, so treat this as a starting point and confirm details with the organiser before you set off.

Hill Climbs: The Region's Signature Events

Two venues dominate the local calendar, and both are worth clearing a weekend for.

Prescott, near Gotherington

Run by the Bugatti Owners' Club and in use as a competitive hill since the late 1930s, Prescott is steep, technical and wonderfully close to the action. The paddock is open to spectators, which means you can watch a pre-war Bugatti being warmed up and then walk fifty yards to see a modern hot hatch line up for the same piece of tarmac. Club meetings and championship rounds run through the spring and summer, with vintage and motorcycle days mixed in.

Shelsley Walsh, near Worcester

Tucked into the Teme valley and run by the Midland Automobile Club, Shelsley has been in use since 1905 and is regarded as the oldest motorsport venue in the world still hosting competition. It is short, fast and unforgiving, and the atmosphere on a championship Sunday is hard to beat. Expect a mix of historic machinery, modern sports cars and the occasional bike meeting.

Both venues typically run events from April through to September. Parking is limited and often on sloping grass, so arrive early, car share if you can, and wear shoes you do not mind getting muddy.

Circuits and Track Days Within Reach

Castle Combe in Wiltshire is the most accessible race circuit for most of the region, hosting club race meetings, family-friendly action days and plenty of track days. Llandow, in the Vale of Glamorgan, is smaller and cheaper, with generous run-off that suits a first outing. Airfield sprint venues across the wider region offer another route in, usually with simple layouts and a relaxed paddock.

If you have never done a track day, the process is less daunting than it looks:

1. Pick a novice-friendly day at a circuit with plenty of run-off, and book early — popular dates fill weeks ahead.
2. Check the noise limit before you book. Circuits publish both static and drive-by limits, and a standard exhaust can still fail a strict day.
3. Check your insurance. Most road policies exclude track use entirely, and specialist cover is sold per event. Speak to a broker who understands motorsport rather than assuming you are covered.
4. Have the car checked first: brake pads and fluid, tyre pressures and tread, fluid levels, and a full tank of fuel.
5. Book an instructor for your first session. It is the single best-value item on the day.
6. Take a helmet if you own one, a pressure gauge, a torque wrench, water and layers. Hire helmets are usually available but not guaranteed.
7. Attend the briefing properly and follow the overtaking rules — typically on straights only, by consent, with a clear signal.

Meets, Breakfast Clubs and Classic Gatherings

The quiet backbone of the scene is the regular meet. The Classic Motor Hub at Bibury draws interesting machinery throughout the season, while showground sites and country pubs across Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Shropshire host monthly gatherings that cost nothing but a cup of tea. Some are marque-specific, some are open to anything with four wheels and a story.

Etiquette matters more than newcomers expect. Do not touch the cars, do not lean on them for photographs, and do not rev an engine on arrival or departure. Buy something from the venue — a coffee, a bacon roll, a pint — because landowners and landlords pull the plug quickly once neighbours start complaining about noise or blocked entrances. Leave quietly, take your litter with you, and the meet will still be there next month.

The 2024 Season at a Glance

Exact dates vary by organiser, but the shape of the year is predictable enough to plan around.

• March–April: season openers at the hill climbs, early sprints and autotests, and the return of breakfast meets as the mornings brighten.
• May–June: peak classic season — club rallies, concours events and evening meets, with both Prescott and Shelsley busy.
• July–August: the busiest stretch, including family action days, vintage festivals and long-light evening gatherings.
• September–October: hill climb finals, end-of-season track days and charity runs.
• November–February: quieter months given over to breakfast meets, autojumbles, restoration shows and club talks.

How to Find Out What's On

Reliable information beats guesswork. Start with the venues themselves — Prescott, Shelsley Walsh and Castle Combe all publish their own calendars, and signing up for a venue newsletter is the simplest way to hear about tickets before they sell out. Car clubs remain the best source for the smaller stuff: a local branch will know about the pub meet that never appears in a listings guide.

Beyond that, local newspaper what's-on sections, community noticeboards and regional enthusiast groups on social media all carry announcements, though details there are only as good as the person posting. When in doubt, ring or email the organiser. If a listing has no date, no start time and no venue, it is probably last year's.

Before You Go: Small Things That Matter

A few habits make the difference between a good day and a wasted one. Check the forecast and dress for it — hill climb venues are exposed and often windy, and a waterproof beats an umbrella. Take cash, because some smaller events still run on a bucket at the gate. Bring water, sun cream, a folding chair and ear defenders for younger children. Note where you parked, and plan your exit; a single-track lane out of a popular venue can add an hour to the journey home.

Finally, be selective. Trying to attend everything will leave you rushing past the cars you actually came to see. Pick three or four events, put them in the diary now, and give each one a full day. That is where the good conversations happen — in a paddock, next to a car, with someone who has owned one for thirty years and is happy to tell you what to look for.

Photo: Valeria Boltneva / Pexels