VSCC Lakeland Trial 2026

The Lakeland Trial is one of the toughest days in the Vintage Sports-Car Club calendar, and the 2026 running takes place on Saturday 7 November. It is based around Low Lorton in Cumbria, with the event headquarters at the Wheatsheaf Inn.

Competitors set off from two starts, at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club on the B5291 and the Lorton layby on the B5289. They then spend the day tackling a series of hills and off-road sections through west Cumbria. The trial has long been associated with Honister, and press reports describe the Drumhouse climb near Honister Slate Mine as a section the club has used since the very first Lakeland Trial.

The trial was first staged in 1968, and the 2025 running was billed as the 55th edition. Field sizes in recent years have been around a hundred pre-war cars, and the event relies on a large team of volunteer marshals.

Spectator arrangements for 2026 had not been published at the time of writing. Past editions offered public viewing at Drumhouse during the day. Check the VSCC spectator page before setting out on Lakeland roads in November.