NEWS FEED
A vintage motorcycle once owned by TE Lawrence (of Arabia) made an emotional return to Clouds Hill, the former home of the enigmatic scholar turned war-hero, now owned by the National Trust.
On Saturday 21 May the fully restored 1929 Brough Superior SS-100, nicknamed ‘George VI’ by Lawrence, joined 10 other bikes – including ‘George IV’, a 1925 model he also owned and rode. With only three of his motorcycles known to have survived until the present day, it was really special to have two of these formidable machines on display at the cottage.
Over 200 hundred visitors attended the event to mark the centenary since Lawrence became actively involved in the Arab Revolt of WWI, an involvement that ultimately led to his fame.
Lawrence’s enlistment in the Tank Corps at nearby Bovington in March of 1923 brought him to Clouds Hill, from where he continued a love affair with this ‘Rolls-Royce of motorcycles’ which had started four months earlier at the RAF School of Photography at Farnborough.
Named after the manufacturer – George Brough of Nottingham – Lawrence owned seven different versions of these hand-built bikes. Each one came with a price tag to match, usually between £100-£185 – the average annual salary or the price of a small house in the 1920s.
George IV – a motorcycle that is still locally owned and ridden – was customized for Lawrence and his short stature, with the top rear of the fuel tank cut away to allow for a lower saddle height. From April 1925 until Lawrence’s transfer back to the RAF in August, it would have been a familiar sight on Dorset roads.
George VI, meanwhile, had initially been an expensive gift from GB and Charlotte Shaw in February 1929, when Lawrence returned from RAF duties in India. However, being uncomfortable with such generosity, Lawrence insisted on paying for the motorcycle himself.
One of Lawrence’s first trips on George VI would have been to Clouds Hill. He also made regular journeys between his base in Plymouth to London, covering the 235 miles in under five hours and often riding at speeds in excess of 90 mph. Lady (Nancy) Astor would also be seen riding pillion around the streets of Plymouth, where she was an MP – much to the bemusement of the locals.
It was whilst riding George VI’s successor that Lawrence was fatally injured on 13 May 1935, only a few hundred yards from his beloved home.
For more information about Clouds Hill and more upcoming events please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/clouds-hill/
