Croquet
About Croquet in Patterdale
During the Summer months between 2006 and 2008, quite a number of locals would meet to play Croquet at the Inn on the Lake, on their beautiful lakeside lawn, usually on a Wednesday and Sunday afternoon. This was very informal and relied upon anyone who owned a set of kit turning up. Inexplicably, this did not happen in 2009 or in subsequent years, perhaps the novelty had worn off. However, in the years that followed, people would often talk about how sociable and enjoyable it had been.
The revival of the Tennis Courts in 2021, rekindled those memories of Croquet, so a small group of people began playing again, generally on a Saturday afternoon. Interest grew during 2022, with more and more people turning up for a game. A WhatsApp group was created which made it easier to arrange when games would be played.
By forming a Croquet Group within the Tennis Club, it has been possible to provide a set of equipment for the general use of members whenever they wish, either for practice or for games. It is also hoped that measures can be taken to improve the lawn.
Where we Play
The Croquet 'Lawn' that we play on is located behind the new Tennis Courts on King George V Playing Field in Patterdale.
During the refurbishment of the tennis courts in 2021, it was discovered that the flat grassy area behind the courts had once been a bowling green. The green had been laid in 1950 and paid for by Mr Lawrence Dealtry, the headmaster of Leas Boarding School, Hoylake, in appreciation of the kindness the village had shown to the school when they were evacuated to the dale during the war. The Patterdale Bowling Club was formed when the green opened for play in 1951 and had 41 members that year. Sadly, ongoing support for the club wained, largely, it is said, by the lack of volunteers to cut the grass! Eventually, we are not sure when, the club was disbanded and the green deteriorated.
The green or 'lawn' must have been well constructed with a good base as it has remained fairly flat and drains really well after heavy rain. It would now be difficult to play bowls there as the grass has become too coarse. It's not ideal for Croquet either but, for the level of Croquet we play, the randomness in someway adds to the enjoyment (and it's the same for everybody). Perhaps we can improve the surface gradually.
The dimensions of the lawn are almost the same as a full size croquet lawn but we generally play crossways, as it provides up to three smaller lawns to accomodate more players. We primarily play the simpler version of Croquet, known as Golf Croquet, as it's quicker and keeps everyone involved.
If you are interested in joining us or even just trying it out, talk to anyone you see playing. Alternatively email us at patterdalecroquet@gmail.com and we can arrange a date and time with you.
Click on the 'Coaching Videos' link at the top of this page to watch some excellent tutorial videos about Golf Croquet.