Club History
Croquet – The Bath Connection
By Gillian and Mike Cope
Bath’s first tournament was held on 19th September 1896, the Reverend Arthur Law being the prime mover. Eight Lawns (courts in those days) were laid out on the Lansdown Cricket Ground in Comb Park Road. For the third Tournament the location was moved to the New Recreation Ground. “All courts were good considering the drought” and 154 games were finished in a little over four days. The Bath and County Club invited all competitors to be Honorary members during that week. Open Tournaments took place in Bath until 1938, dying a natural death until the Bath Croquet Club was re-formed in 1976.
The Club now plays on four full-sized lawns on Bath Recreation Ground, rented from The Recreation Ground Trust and maintained by Bath & North East Somerset Council, with an annual membership of between 60 and 70 players of all ages. It is well equipped with huts for every lawn, a ‘summer hut’ with trophies and details of all club competitions/notices, and a ‘kitchen hut’ complete with microwave, fridge, kettle and sink. The Club has two qualified coaches and is keen to give tuition to beginners wishing to try their hand at the game. Mallets can be borrowed from the Club, which is affiliated to the South West Federation of Croquet Clubs . It participates in five South West Federation Leagues and also hosts National competitions and runs its own internal competitions and monthly tournaments, which are extremely popular.
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