Round of Croquet, Anyone?

“Playing croquet is a wonderful way to enjoy an afternoon,

Hitting the ball through the wicket,

Pushing the ball isn’t Cricket…” listen to the 1960 Broadway recording

Yes, what better way to enjoy a balmy summer’s afternoon than having a round of croquet with friends, as you sip a thirst-quenching gin and tonic between shots? By the way, Tanqueray’s Malacca Gin, which is softly spiced with hints of peppercorn and cloves, is a particularly tasty gin to use for G&T’s. But I digress, what were we talking about? Oh yes, croquet!

The front lawn serves as the croquet field and its unevenness and small peaks and valleys add to the competition. It typically takes a few turns for people to get into the swing of things and begin to employ some of the nastier tactics like whacking an opponent’s ball across the lawn - all in good fun, of course.

But, what about the history of croquet? Where did this game come from, and when?

Wikipedia states that the ancestral game was introduced to Britain from France during the 1660–1685 reign of Charles II of England, and was played under the name of paille-maille (pall-mall), derived ultimately from Latin words for 'ball and mallet'. The oldest document to bear the word croquet with a description of the modern game is the set of rules registered by Isaac Spratt in November 1856 with the Stationers' Company of London. In 1868 the first croquet all-comers meet was held at Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire and in the same year the All England Croquet Club was formed at Wimbledon, London.

Early croquet-like game from The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England, first published 1801. Hoop, peg, and two players with balls clearly shown. Such implements in ground billiards games date to classical antiquity. Coincidentally, a renowned maker of croquet equipment, Oakley Woods Croquet, is a 4 min drive from SevenMaples. Their products look to be beautifully crafted, and the reviews on Amazon attest to their quality and the common sentiment is that they’re well worth the money. Although we have a more basic set of 6, so far they’ve been great to play with. We were careful to look for longer, adult-size mallets, and the 32 inch long ones work well for us.

We look forward to more fun rounds with friends (and G&T’s!) in the summer of 2023.