{{Short description|Beach along Carmarthen Bay, south Wales}} {{Use British English|date=June 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}} thumb|upright=1.35|Pendine Sands (September 2008) {{OSM Location map | coord = {{coord|51.7427| -4.5347}} | zoom = 10| float=right | width = 325 | height = 230 | caption = Map of South Wales coastline around Pendine Sands | minimap = file <!-- Adds a 'mini-image' to the bottom right corner --> | mini-file = Carmarthenshire UK location map.svg | mini-width = 110 |mini-height = 74 | minipog-x = 50| minipog-y = 55 | scalemark = 140 | label-sizeD=10 | label-colorD=hard grey | label1 = P E N D I N E S A N D S |label-offset-x = 40 | label1a = | label1b = | mark-size1 = 10| label-size1=8 | mark-coord1 = {{coord|51.7427| -4.5347}} | label-pos1 = right| label-color1=soft grey | label-pos1a = right | mark-title1 = Pendine Sands | mark-description1= }} '''Pendine Sands''' ({{langx|cy|Traeth Pentywyn}}) is a {{convert|7|mi|adj=on}} beach on the shores of Carmarthen Bay on the south coast of Wales. It stretches west to east from Gilman Point to Laugharne Sands. The village of Pendine ({{langx|cy|Pentywyn|link=no}}) is close to the western end of the beach. [[File:Welsh TT races Trophy.jpg|thumb|Welsh TT races Trophy, originally awarded for races on Pendine Sands, later (circa 1950) for races held on the hard roads of Mynydd Epynt]] In the early 1900s the sands were used as a venue for car and motor cycle races. From 1922 the annual Welsh TT motor cycle event was held here.{{r|Dragon}} The firm, flat surface of the beach created a race track that was straighter and smoother than many major roads of the time. ''Motor Cycle'' magazine described the sands as "the finest natural speedway imaginable".{{r|CoastalPath}}
==Classic record attempts== In the 1920s it became clear that roads and race tracks were no longer adequate venues for attempts on the world land speed record. As record-breaking speeds approached 150 mph (240 km/h), the requirements for acceleration to top speed before the measured mile and safe braking distance afterwards meant that a smooth, flat, straight surface of at least {{convert|5|mi}} in length was needed.
The first person to use Pendine Sands for a world land speed record attempt was Malcolm Campbell. On 25 September 1924 he set a world land speed record of 146.16 mph (235.22 km/h) on Pendine Sands in his Sunbeam 350HP car ''Blue Bird''.
thumb|right|Campbell at Pendine in 1927 Four other record-breaking runs were made on Pendine Sands between 1924 and 1927; two more by Campbell, and two by Welshman J. G. Parry-Thomas in his car ''Babs''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wales and the History of the World – 'Babs'|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00gfxvf|publisher=BBC|access-date=30 December 2011}}</ref> Firstly the {{convert|150|mph|abbr=on}} barrier was broken by Campbell. In April 1926, Parry-Thomas added approximately 20 mph to break the land speed record at 171.02 mph (273.6 km/h). Campbell raised the record to 174.22 mph (280.38 km/h) in February 1927 with his second ''Blue Bird''. On 3 March 1927, Parry-Thomas attempted to beat Campbell's record. On his final run while travelling at about {{convert|170|mph|abbr=on}} the car crashed. There is an untrue urban myth that the exposed drive chain broke and partially decapitated him; ''Babs'' went out of control and rolled over. Parry-Thomas was the first driver to be killed in a world land speed record attempt.{{sfnp|Tremayne|1991|p=9|ps=}}
One further attempt at the Land Speed Record was planned by Giulio Foresti in the "Djelmo", but Foresti crashed during a test run on 26 November 1927, totally destroying the car.<ref name="Pearce">{{cite web|last1=Pearce|first1=William|title=Djelmo Land Speed Record Car|url=https://oldmachinepress.com/2013/11/22/djelmo-land-speed-record-car/|website=oldmachinepress.com|access-date=25 May 2016}}</ref>
In 1933, Amy Johnson and her husband, Jim Mollison, took off from Pendine Sands in a de Havilland Dragon Rapide, ''G-ACCV'' "Seafarer", to fly non-stop to New York. Their aircraft ran out of fuel and was forced to crash-land at Bridgeport, Connecticut, just short of New York; both were seriously injured in the crash.{{r|Aitken}}
In June 2000, Donald Charles "Don" Wales,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bluebird-electric.net/Don_Wales_don_donald_charles_wales.htm | title=Don Wales Weddings Photographers }}</ref> grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell and a nephew of Donald Campbell, set the UK electric land speed record at Pendine Sands in ''Blue Bird Electric 2'', achieving a speed of 137 mph (220 km/h). {{r|ElectricBluebird}}
==Present day== The Ministry of Defence (MOD) acquired Pendine Sands during the Second World War and used it as a firing range.{{sfnp|Winn|2009|p=62|ps=}} The beach is still owned by the Ministry of Defence; prominent signs warn of the dangers of unexploded munitions and public access is restricted. From Monday to Friday part of the beach is closed off because of MOD operations. Between 9 July 2004 and May 2010 all vehicles were banned from using Pendine because of safety concerns, but since May 2010 cars have again been allowed access.{{r|CarBan}}
thumb|''Babs'' in the former Pendine Museum of Speed<ref name="Walesonline museum"/> Parry-Thomas's car was buried in the sand dunes near the village of Pendine after his accident. In 1969, Owen Wyn Owen, an engineering lecturer from Bangor Technical College, received permission to excavate ''Babs'',{{r|Telegraph}} which he spent the next 16 years restoring.{{r|ITV}} The car could be seen on display at the Museum of Speed in Pendine village during the summer months, prior to demolition of the building for redevelopment.<ref name="Walesonline museum">[https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/pendine-sands-museum-hostel-carmarthenshire-16832442 Stunning new Sands of Speed Museum and hostel in Pendine starts to take shape] ''Wales Online'', 29 August 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2021</ref>{{r|MuseumOfSpeed}}
In 2011, Aardman Animations claimed the world's largest stop motion film set for Gulp, a short film. The beach was used as a 'canvas' with some props and characters sculpted from the sand. The film was captured using Nokia N8, then Nokia's top-of-the-range mobile phone. Overhead shots were obtained via a telescopic cherry picker platform on wheels.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-14430313 Wallace and Gromit makers set record on Pendine Sands] ''BBC News'', 6 August 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2021.</ref><ref>[https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/aardman-create-worlds-biggest-stop-motion-1814409 Aardman create world's biggest stop-motion animation on Welsh beach] ''Wales Online'', 21 March 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2021</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140110121324/http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/08/03/gulp-the-worlds-biggest-stop-frame-animation-shot-on-a-nokia-n8/ Gulp, the world's biggest stop-frame animation. Shot on a Nokia N8] archived from [http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/08/03/gulp-the-worlds-biggest-stop-frame-animation-shot-on-a-nokia-n8/ the original] on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2021.</ref> On 21 and 22 June 2013, Pendine Land Speed Racing Club initiated land speed racing events again on the sands.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
The Vintage Hot Rod Association hosted their inaugural Amateur Hot Rod Races on Pendine Sands on 7 September 2013. Racing was open to members of the VHRA and their pre-1949 hot rods and saw 80 vehicles being timed flat out on the sands. This annual event involves participants from around the world.<ref>{{cite web|title=Events|url=http://www.vhra.co.uk/VHRA/Events.html|website=Vintage Hot Rod Association|access-date=6 April 2019|archive-date=6 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406040549/http://www.vhra.co.uk/VHRA/Events.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The event culminated in the VHRA winning a Motoring Event of the Year accolade at the International Historic Motoring Awards.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170129094325/http://www.historicmotoringawards.com/winners.php Awards 2016] archived from [http://www.historicmotoringawards.com/ the original] on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2021.</ref>
In September 2013, Guy Martin broke the UK speed record for a bicycle ridden in the slipstream of another vehicle. He hit a top speed of 112.9 mph while riding behind a modified truck driven by former British Truck Racing Championship winner, Dave Jenkins.<ref>[https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2015-07-21/the-highs-and-lows-of-pendine-sands-ten-things-you-might-not-know/ The highs and lows of Pendine Sands: Ten things you might not know] itv.com, 21 July 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2020.</ref> The preparations for the record attempt were documented in Episode 1 of a Channel 4 series called ''Speed with Guy Martin'', first broadcast in the UK in December 2013.{{r|Channel4}}
On 7 May 2015, actor Idris Elba broke the historic 'flying mile' UK land speed record, originally set by Malcolm Campbell, in a Bentley Continental GT Speed. The recorded speed was 180.361 mph.<ref>{{cite web |date=2015-05-07 |title=Actor Idris Elba breaks historic "flying mile" record in Bentley |url=http://www.bentleymedia.com/release/638/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509214539/http://www.bentleymedia.com/release/638 |archive-date=2015-05-09 |access-date=2015-05-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Idris Elba breaks 'flying mile' record held by Sir Malcolm Campbell since 1927|date=5 May 2015|publisher=BBC Newsbeat|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-32595719}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npXvNkgwY0s|title=Don Wales at the wheel of legendary Sunbeam 350hp 'Blue Bird'|format=Video|publisher=carphile.co.uk|author=carphile|date=7 August 2015|via=YouTube}}</ref> thumb|right|Sunbeam 350HP at Pendine Sands in Wales on the 90th anniversary of Sir Malcolm Campbell's land speed record On 21 July 2015, at Pendine beach, the 90th anniversary of Sir Malcolm Campbell's first world land speed record in "Blue Bird" was recreated by his grandson, Don Wales, also a land speed record holder, in the fully restored car.<ref name="anniversary">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-33606932|title=BBC News Land speed record-breaker Blue Bird at Pendine for 90th anniversary|publisher=BBC|access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eopq-G0Ltvo&ebc=ANyPxKq8LLoVn_5dTSvBLlfz7o-b5xbLrMHIf6rjz-snaC9yplkOvLRPOPWYRcZADA9GRoHsRXG0aJsB_ECW2L8hjp7jPzFCOQ|title=Malcolm Campbell's record breaking Blue Bird to run again BBC News|date=21 July 2015|via=YouTube}}</ref> Commenting on the restoration appeal, Wales said: "This beautiful car has been lovingly restored and looked after by Doug Hill and the team and it's only right that such an iconic car deserves to have the final pieces in place to complete her!"'<ref name="Appeal">{{cite press release|url=https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/news/the-sunbeam-350hp-appeal/|date=9 March 2015|title=The Sunbam 350HP Appeal|publisher=National Motor Museum|access-date=10 April 2016}}</ref> The new gearbox will be part of a long-term project to restore the car to its 1925 specifications. This would also require the fabrication of two full-length exhaust pipes, a new seat and upholstery, and the re-manufacture of a slightly dropped nose cone and rear wheel spats.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}
On 12 May 2018, a home-built 'wooden shed' (using an Audi RS4 twin turbo engine, installed in a metal frame with wooden shed cladding) set a new speed record, achieving {{Convert|101|mph|abbr=on}}, breaking its own previous record of {{Convert|80|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-44054814|title=Motorised shed hits 100mph to break speed record at Pendine Sands|publisher=BBC News|date=12 May 2018}}</ref> The following day, 45-year-old Guernsey businessman Zef Eisenberg set a new land speed 'sand' record of {{Convert|201.5|mph|abbr=on}} on his 350-horsepower supercharged Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle, the first time a speed in excess of 200 miles per hour had been achieved at Pendine. This was the fastest speed achieved by a wheel powered vehicle ever at Pendine.<ref>{{cite news|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-44107860|title=Sand speed record broken on motorbike at Pendine Sands|access-date=14 May 2018}}</ref> In 2019, Eisenberg set a new record of {{convert|210.332|mph|abbr=on}} in a modified Porsche 911. He broke the records for flying mile and flying quarter on the same day.<ref>{{cite news|title=Zef speeds into record books|url=https://guernseypress.com/news/2019/05/20/zef-speeds-into-record-books/|work=Guernsey Press|date=20 May 2019}}</ref>
Pendine Sands has been used as a location for filming, including BBC's ''Top Gear'' and the BBC Cymru drama ''Keeping Faith'', starring Eve Myles.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sandblast Challenge Part 2|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX11UMVaxQE|access-date=4 July 2020|website=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Where is Welsh drama Keeping Faith filmed?|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-07-22/keeping-faith-bbc-filming-location-guide-wales/|access-date=4 July 2020|website=Radio Times|language=en}}</ref>
==References== '''Notes''' <references>
<ref name="Aitken"> {{citation|last=Aitken|first=Kenneth|title=Amy Johnson (The Speed Seekers)|date=July 1991|magazine=Aeroplane Monthly|volume=9|issue=219}} </ref>
<ref name="CarBan"> {{citation|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10229440|title=Six-year car ban at Pendine sands reversed|publisher=BBC News Online|date=4 June 2010|access-date=1 November 2010}} </ref>
<ref name="CoastalPath"> {{citation|last=Sheers|first=Owen|title=Wales: exploring the new coastal path in Dylan Thomas country|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/wales/9238828/Wales-exploring-the-new-coastal-path-in-Dylan-Thomas-country.html|date=1 May 2012|publisher=Telegraph Media Group|access-date=2 March 2013}} </ref>
<ref name="Dragon"> {{citation|title=Enter the Dragon|date=1 November 2001|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorbikes/2715591/Enter-the-dragon.html|publisher=Telegraph Media Group|access-date=2 March 2013}} </ref>
<ref name="ElectricBluebird"> {{citation|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1139874.stm|title=Bluebird eyes world record|publisher=BBC News Online|date=14 February 2001|access-date=1 October 2010}} </ref>
<ref name="ITV"> {{citation|title=Former land speed record car on display in driver's hometown|date=5 November 2012|url=http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2012-11-02/record-breaking-car-on-display-in-drivers-hometown/|publisher=ITV|access-date=2 March 2013}} </ref>
<ref name="MuseumOfSpeed">{{citation|title=Pendine Museum of Speed|url=http://www.visit.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/heritage/speed-museum.html|publisher=Carmarthenshire County Council|access-date=2 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603075659/http://www.visit.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/heritage/speed-museum.html|archive-date=3 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="Channel4"> {{citation|title=Speed with Guy Martin|url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/speed-with-guy-martin/4od#3623599|publisher=Channel Four|access-date=30 December 2013}} </ref>
<ref name="Telegraph"> {{citation|title=Wales: Old girl with a racy past|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/wales/722648/Wales-Old-girl-with-a-racy-past.html|date=12 August 2000|publisher=Telegraph Media Group|access-date=2 March 2013}} </ref>
</references>
'''Bibliography''' {{refbegin}} *{{citation|last=Tremayne|first=David|title=The Land Speed Record|year=1991|authorlink=David Tremayne|publisher=Shire Publications|isbn=978-0-7478-0115-3}} *{{citation|last=Winn|first=Christopher|title=I Never Knew That About Wales|year=2009|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-1-4070-2823-1}} {{refend}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Pendine Sands}} * [http://www.britishpathe.com/video/parry-thomas-car-exhumed-at-pendine-sands British Pathé film of ''Babs'' being recovered from Pendine Sands in 1969]
{{Coord|51|43|57|N|4|29|51|W|type:landmark_region:GB-CMN|display=title}} * [https://www.ukspacefacilities.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/MOD-QinetiQ-LTPA-Ranges-and-Facilities---MoD-Pendine-Range.aspx Pendine Range] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20170618012531/http://pendinelrc.com/ www.pendinelrc.com] Pendine Land Speed Racing Club (archived homepage) * [http://www.vhra.co.uk www.vhra.co.uk] The official website of the Vintage Hot Rod Association
{{Beach racing}}
Category:Carmarthen Bay Category:Coast of Carmarthenshire Category:Beaches of Carmarthenshire Category:Qinetiq Category:Road test tracks Category:Science and Technology Facilities Council Category:Beach racing