Northern Belle & Silverstone Circuit

Straw bales, wandering sheep, and a Grand Prix crowd; Silverstone became a serious circuit before the mud had dried.

The Royal Automobile Club organised the first race at Silverstone in September 1948, using the perimeter roads and connecting sections of the old runways. The circuit was rudimentary: straw bales marked the corners, and a sheep that wandered onto the track during practice had to be chased off by marshals. Despite the improvised nature of the occasion, the RAC Grand Prix attracted a strong field and drew significant crowds, establishing Silverstone as a serious racing venue almost overnight.

A hundred thousand souls watched royalty and racing royalty share the same afternoon at Silverstone in 1950.

On 13 May 1950, Silverstone made history by hosting the inaugural round of the FIA Formula One World Championship. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were among the spectators as Giuseppe Farina won in his Alfa Romeo 158, completing 70 laps of the 2.89-mile circuit. The race, officially titled the Royal Automobile Club Grand Prix d'Europe, drew an estimated 100,000 spectators. It was the moment that transformed Silverstone from a regional racing venue into the spiritual home of Formula 1.

Each carriage carries the name of a British castle; the Orient-Express group simply brought the Pullman golden age north.

The Northern Belle entered service in 2000 as a sister train to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express's British Pullman. Operated initially by the Orient-Express Hotels group, the train comprised beautifully restored 1930s-style Pullman carriages, each named after British castles and stately homes. Running from departure points across the north of England and Scotland, it offered day trips and weekend excursions with multi-course dining, champagne service, and live entertainment aboard.

Forty million pounds and a Populous-designed pit complex later, Silverstone had an answer for Abu Dhabi.

A £40 million redevelopment transformed Silverstone's facilities with the opening of the Wing, a striking pit and paddock complex designed by Populous. The circuit layout was also revised, with a new section threading between the old Abbey and Bridge corners to create a faster, more technical challenge. The investment signalled Silverstone's determination to remain a world-class venue, matching the modern facilities of newer circuits in the Middle East and Asia.

New ownership brought Krug to the carriage and race days to the timetable.

After the Orient-Express Hotels group (by then Belmond) sold the Northern Belle, the train was acquired by David Pitts and later co-owned with David Smith. Under new ownership, the Northern Belle expanded its programme of excursions, offering journeys to race days, flower shows, historic towns, and seasonal celebrations. The train retained its Pullman character, with each carriage individually styled and named, while adding partnerships with champagne houses including Moët Hennessy and Krug.

A decade of certainty at Silverstone; 400,000 spectators per race weekend know exactly where they will be until 2034.

Silverstone confirmed a ten-year contract extension to host the British Grand Prix through to 2034, ending years of speculation about the race's future. The deal reflected both the circuit's continued investment in facilities and the enduring popularity of the British Grand Prix, which regularly attracts over 400,000 spectators across the race weekend. Combined with the Northern Belle experience, guests can now travel to one of motorsport's most storied venues in a manner befitting the occasion.

Champagne in a Pullman carriage, then a grandstand full of racing. Britain, doing both rather well.

Today, the Northern Belle and Silverstone experience pairs two distinctly British pleasures. Guests board the train at a convenient departure point, settle into their Pullman carriage for a champagne reception and multi-course meal, and arrive at the circuit ready for a day of world-class motorsport. It is a format that nods to the past while delivering something thoroughly modern: the thrill of the track, bookended by the unhurried elegance of rail travel done properly.