The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Racing a motorbike up steep muddy hill climbs, over miles of slippery tree roots and jagged rocks, across fast streams, with the occasional helping shove from willing onlookers.
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Overview
This is a rare pre-war film from the famous C. H. Wood collection of motorcycle racing films, the largest collection of its kind in the world. Only the brave or foolhardy would ride a motorcycle over the near impossible terrain of the Yorkshire Dales. But these intrepid motorcycle trial riders do just that in the bleak mid-winter of 1938, wearing clothing almost indistinguishable from that of the spectators, and riding road machines with little or no modification.
Charles Wood of Bradford started life as an engineer for the Scott Motor Company, soon becoming a test rider, and started filming motorcycle racing and trials in 1922. It isn’t clear what the first motorcycle trial in this film is: it may be the Leeds Trial or the Six Days International Trial, it being unclear where they were located (the 1938 British Experts Trial was held in Stroud). The Scott Motorcycle Trial, which Wood filmed many times and was run by the Bradford & District Motor Club, was held as a round trip from Blubberhouses up to 1938, after which it moved over to the North York Moors (until 1951). The Allan Jefferies Trophy Trial didn’t start until 1939 – Jefferies may possibly be spotted in the film.
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