Cheltenham’s Little-Known Connection with English Croquet
Mention sport and Cheltenham in the same sentence and most people will immediately think of horse racing. The Cheltenham Festival attracts visitors from around the world, while the town is also known for football, cricket and its historic outdoor swimming pool.
However, Cheltenham has another important sporting connection that is much less widely known. The town is one of the leading centres of English croquet and is home to both one of Britain’s oldest croquet clubs and the national headquarters of Croquet England.
More than just a garden game
For many of us, croquet brings to mind a relaxed game played on the lawn at a summer gathering. However, competitive croquet is a skilful and highly tactical sport.
Players must judge angles, distance and the pace of the lawn, while deciding how best to position their own balls and disrupt their opponents. At its highest level, the game requires considerable precision, concentration and strategic thinking.
Croquet England describes it as a game that can be learned in around ten minutes, although mastering its more advanced tactics can take considerably longer.
It is also an unusually inclusive sport. Men and women compete together, while people of different ages and physical abilities can enjoy the same game. It can be sociable and relaxed or fiercely competitive, depending on the players and occasion.
A game with a fascinating history
The exact origins of croquet are uncertain, although the modern game is generally thought to have developed in Ireland before being introduced to England during the 1850s.
Its growing popularity was helped by the development of the lawnmower. For the first time, more people could maintain the short, even lawns needed to play accurately.
Croquet became extremely fashionable during the second half of the 19th century. It was one of the few sports in which men and women could play together on relatively equal terms, contributing to its popularity as both a social activity and a competitive game.
The first croquet club was formed in Worthing in 1860, while the first national headquarters opened at the All England Croquet Club in Wimbledon in 1868. That organisation later became the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which is now known around the world as the home of the Wimbledon tennis championships.
As lawn tennis grew in popularity, many croquet lawns were converted into tennis courts. Croquet nevertheless survived, developed a dedicated following and eventually found another important home here in Cheltenham.
Cheltenham’s croquet story began in the 19th century
Cheltenham’s association with croquet stretches back more than 150 years. A croquet tournament was played in the town in 1869, and the first known reference to Cheltenham Croquet Club dates from 1870.
The club initially met at The Queen’s Hotel and played in Montpellier Gardens.
Over the following decades, Cheltenham Croquet Club developed from a social club into one of the country’s most respected competitive venues. Today, it is based at Old Bath Road and is described by the club as one of the largest and oldest croquet clubs in Britain.
Its carefully maintained lawns have hosted leading players and important competitions, giving Cheltenham an international reputation within the sport.
The national home of English croquet
Cheltenham’s importance goes beyond having a successful local club. Croquet England, the national governing body for the sport in England, has its headquarters within the grounds of Cheltenham Croquet Club in Old Bath Road.
The organisation was originally founded as the United All-England Croquet Association in the late 19th century. It subsequently became the Croquet Association and adopted the name Croquet England in 2024.
From its Cheltenham headquarters, Croquet England supports clubs, players, coaches, officials and competitions across the country. It also helps to develop the sport, maintain playing standards and encourage more people to take part.
The Croquet World Championships took place in Cheltenham in 2005.
This makes Cheltenham not simply a town where croquet happens to be played, but the administrative centre of the English game.
Croquet once appeared at the Olympics
Another surprising fact is that croquet has an Olympic history.
The sport appeared at the Paris Olympic Games in 1900. Although it did not become a permanent Olympic event, its appearance was significant because women took part alongside men during the early years of the modern Games. And just in case you were wondering all the Croquet Gold Medals that year were won by France.
Croquet has since developed into an international sport, with leading players and teams found in countries including England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Spain, South Africa, Canada and the United States.
The World Croquet Federation was established in 1989, and international individual and team championships are now played regularly.
Association Croquet and Golf Croquet
There are two principal versions of the game played in England.
Association Croquet is the more tactically complex form. Players use extra strokes and carefully planned sequences to move their balls through the hoops.
Golf Croquet has simpler rules and is often easier for beginners to learn. Players take alternate shots, and the first ball through each hoop scores the point. However, the tactics and accuracy involved mean that it can still become extremely competitive.
Both versions provide gentle outdoor activity while exercising concentration, judgement and strategic thinking. The social side of the sport is equally important, making croquet an appealing pastime during retirement.
Another reason to enjoy retirement in Cheltenham
Cheltenham is well known for its Regency architecture, attractive parks, festivals, theatres, restaurants and proximity to the Cotswolds. Its croquet heritage adds another interesting dimension to the town.
For Honeybourne Gate apartment owners, living close to the centre of Cheltenham means being surrounded by a remarkable variety of cultural, social and sporting opportunities. Whether you would like to try croquet, watch experienced players compete or simply discover another chapter in the town’s history, Cheltenham Croquet Club is part of a proud local tradition.
It is one of the many lesser-known details that makes Cheltenham such an interesting and rewarding place in which to spend your retirement.
Honeybourne Gate offers luxurious retirement apartments close to Cheltenham town centre, together with excellent shared facilities, flexible services and 24-hour on-site staffing. To discover more, call 0800 471 4793 or arrange a visitContact.