North Hykeham Croquet Club was formed in 1998 and had two “homes” in North Hykeham before moving the Hartsholme Cricket Club where we play on the cricket outfield.
The History of Croquet
Croquet is a very old pastime. So old that its precise origins have been lost in the passage of time, with the result that nobody truly knows when and where in the world the game originated.
One explanation is that an earlier form of croquet came to Britain from France during the reign of Charles 2nd under the name of Pall Mall (derived from the Latin “Ball and Mallet”). Charles and his courtiers would take their exercise by playing this game in St. James’ Park, hence the walk still known as The Mall.
Another source suggests that it was introduced into Ireland in the early 1800’s, initially called “Crookey”, from a similar game played on the beaches of Brittany, and from Ireland to England in the 1850s. Regardless of when and by what route it reached England, the roots of croquet go back to the old game of Ground Billiards, which was popular in Western Europe as far back, at least, to the 14th century.
Perhaps this is why people who like to play billiards and snooker also enjoy croquet.
Croquet became highly successful in England during the 1860s, one of the attractions being that it could be played by both sexes and all ages. It spread to other countries as far afield as Australia in the east and America in the west. There followed the formation of Croquet Associations and clubs throughout the world, the main advantage of clubs over gardens being that someone else cuts the grass for you. A club lawn is, typically, maintained to a much higher standard than any domestic gardener could hope to achieve and it is likely to be much bigger, flatter and with shorter grass, allowing for a faster surface for balls to travel further with less effort.