A 1923 Grindley Sporting has returned temporarily to Prees, the Shropshire town where it was built. The motorcycle is on loan from the National Motorcycle Museum for October and is being displayed at the Grocott Heritage Centre, bringing it back to the place where its story began.

Grindley Motor Company built motorcycles in Prees from 1922 to 1939, although its output remained extremely small. Between 25 and 30 motorcycles were built at the Grindley garage during the company’s operation. Founder Bill Grindley was a trials enthusiast and entered the 1922 International Six Days Trial on a motorcycle bearing his name and powered by a 250cc JAP engine.

A homecoming with personal meaning

The return was arranged by Harry Copnall, a former Grocontinental engineer and lifelong motorcycle enthusiast. Grocontinental had previously tried, without success, to buy this particular Grindley as Copnall’s retirement gift. His connection with the marque reaches back further: as a child, time spent at the original Grindley garage helped develop his enthusiasm for motorcycles and trials.

Copnall said he was proud to bring the Grindley Sporting back to Prees and expected many local people to enjoy seeing it. The venue adds another local link to the display. The Grocott Heritage Centre takes its name from the Grocott family, which founded Grocontinental and owned the company until 2017. The motorcycle therefore connects the town’s limited manufacturing history with the wider industrial story of a company rooted in the same area.