Roehampton Club
Encyclopedia
The Roehampton Club is an exclusive private members’ sports club in Roehampton
in southwest London
, England
.
Roehampton Club is set in 100 acres (404,686 m²) of parkland, close to Richmond Park. Originally established in 1901 as an officers’ polo club, the Roehampton Club has a wide range of sporting and leisure facilities including an 18-hole golf course, 28 tennis courts, 5 squash courts, 4 croquet lawns, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a gym, fitness studio, health and beauty clinic and bridge room.
clubs of London to provide for the growing interest in the sport. Clubs existed in the vicinity of the capital but were considered to be too far. It was the initiative of the Miller brothers that began the formation of the Roehampton club to alleviate this problem. Edward Miller had left the 17th Lancers in 1893 to start Rugby Polo Club at his home in Warwickshire. His brothers Ted, Charles
(an olympic polo player) and George had developed one of the largest polo pony supply businesses in Europe. Together they met with the other interested parties and formed a Limited Liability company to create the club. Lord Shrewsbury
was appointed as the chairman and Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge
was made president.
Charles Darley Miller
set out to find the land which needed to be close to the Hurlingham Club
and Ranelagh Club for ease of transportation of polo ponies. The original facilities included three polo
grounds, a racecourse, a horse show ground, an area where women could practice driving
, tilting and jumping
and stabling for the members horses. in 1904 a golf course was built with nine holes, this was later expanded to 18.
The Roehampton club opened in April 1902 under the management of Charles Darley Miller
. The Roehampton Trophy
, donated by Mrs Alison Cunninghame of Craigends, was first played for in this year. The Trophy is now the oldest polo trophy played for in the England and the tournament is held at Ham Polo Club
in Richmond, London. There were also Junior competitions and a tournament where all the players and teams were selected by ladies. The cups were presented to the ladies who picked the winning team.
The first 400 members paid no entrance fee and though the club was considered to be a poor relation to the Hurlingham
and Ranelagh clubs this was not the case. Members and regular polo players included Admiral Lord David Betty, Sir Winston Churchill, the Marques de Villavieja, Lord Hugh Salisbury
, the Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich, and the Duke of Westminster
. King Alfonso XIII of Spain was so fond of playing at the club he paid for a grandstand to be built on top of the clubhouse for his entourage to use.
There were a number of key polo players at the club during this time including 10-goal Charles Thomas Irvine Roark
, 9-goal Eric Horace Tyrrell-Martin
and John Arthur Edward Traill.
Roehampton
Roehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is...
in southwest London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Roehampton Club is set in 100 acres (404,686 m²) of parkland, close to Richmond Park. Originally established in 1901 as an officers’ polo club, the Roehampton Club has a wide range of sporting and leisure facilities including an 18-hole golf course, 28 tennis courts, 5 squash courts, 4 croquet lawns, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a gym, fitness studio, health and beauty clinic and bridge room.
Early History
At the turn of the 19th century there was a tremendous strain on the poloPolo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
clubs of London to provide for the growing interest in the sport. Clubs existed in the vicinity of the capital but were considered to be too far. It was the initiative of the Miller brothers that began the formation of the Roehampton club to alleviate this problem. Edward Miller had left the 17th Lancers in 1893 to start Rugby Polo Club at his home in Warwickshire. His brothers Ted, Charles
Charles Darley Miller
Charles Darley Miller was a British polo player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics as a member of the British polo team Roehampton, which won the gold medal.-Biography:...
(an olympic polo player) and George had developed one of the largest polo pony supply businesses in Europe. Together they met with the other interested parties and formed a Limited Liability company to create the club. Lord Shrewsbury
Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury
Major Charles Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury, 20th Earl of Waterford, 5th Earl Talbot , was a British peer.Talbot was the only son and heir of the Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury...
was appointed as the chairman and Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge
Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge
Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, GCB, GCVO, CMG , born Prince Adolphus of Teck and later The Duke of Teck , was a member of the British Royal Family and a younger brother of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V...
was made president.
Charles Darley Miller
Charles Darley Miller
Charles Darley Miller was a British polo player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics as a member of the British polo team Roehampton, which won the gold medal.-Biography:...
set out to find the land which needed to be close to the Hurlingham Club
Hurlingham Club
The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive sports club in Fulham in southwest London, England. The club, founded in 1869, is situated by the River Thames in Fulham, West London, and has a Georgian clubhouse set in of grounds...
and Ranelagh Club for ease of transportation of polo ponies. The original facilities included three polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
grounds, a racecourse, a horse show ground, an area where women could practice driving
Driving (horse)
Driving, when applied to horses, ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other horse-drawn vehicle by means of a harness and working them in this way...
, tilting and jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
and stabling for the members horses. in 1904 a golf course was built with nine holes, this was later expanded to 18.
The Roehampton club opened in April 1902 under the management of Charles Darley Miller
Charles Darley Miller
Charles Darley Miller was a British polo player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics as a member of the British polo team Roehampton, which won the gold medal.-Biography:...
. The Roehampton Trophy
Roehampton Trophy
The Roehampton trophy is the oldest polo trophy in the United Kingdom. The trophy was first played for at the Roehampton Club in 1902 and was won by Buccaneers...
, donated by Mrs Alison Cunninghame of Craigends, was first played for in this year. The Trophy is now the oldest polo trophy played for in the England and the tournament is held at Ham Polo Club
Ham Polo Club
Ham Polo Club is a Hurlingham Polo Association Polo Club situated in Richmond, South West London. It is one of the oldest polo clubs in the United Kingdom and the last surviving club in London. The club occupies a location between Richmond Park and the River Thames overlooked by Ham House, eight...
in Richmond, London. There were also Junior competitions and a tournament where all the players and teams were selected by ladies. The cups were presented to the ladies who picked the winning team.
The first 400 members paid no entrance fee and though the club was considered to be a poor relation to the Hurlingham
Hurlingham Club
The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive sports club in Fulham in southwest London, England. The club, founded in 1869, is situated by the River Thames in Fulham, West London, and has a Georgian clubhouse set in of grounds...
and Ranelagh clubs this was not the case. Members and regular polo players included Admiral Lord David Betty, Sir Winston Churchill, the Marques de Villavieja, Lord Hugh Salisbury
Hugh Cecil, 1st Baron Quickswood
Hugh Richard Heathcote Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st Baron Quickswood PC , styled Lord Hugh Cecil until 1941, was a British Conservative Party politician.-Background and education:...
, the Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich, and the Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster GCVO DSO was the son of Victor Alexander Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor and Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Scarborough...
. King Alfonso XIII of Spain was so fond of playing at the club he paid for a grandstand to be built on top of the clubhouse for his entourage to use.
Inter War Years
Polo and equestrianism at Roehampton recovered quickly after the First World War. The club was now being managed by Clement Charles Lister who with the assistance of John Arthur Edward Traill and the Miller brothers took a keen interest in the development of newcomers to the sport of polo.There were a number of key polo players at the club during this time including 10-goal Charles Thomas Irvine Roark
Charles Thomas Irvine Roark
Captain Charles Thomas Irvine Roark was an English polo player. He held a ten goal handicap at the peak of his career.- Biography :He was born in Ireland in 1897 to T. I. Roark of Wexford....
, 9-goal Eric Horace Tyrrell-Martin
Eric Horace Tyrrell-Martin
Eric Horace Tyrrell-Martin was an English international polo player. At the height of his career, he held a nine goal handicap.-Biography:...
and John Arthur Edward Traill.