Croquet club celebrates start of build of new home

Ipswich Croquet Club, which was established more than 100 years ago, has found a new home after being a mainstay at the Fynn Valley Golf Club for many years.

The club, which has members aged 18 to 94, had been looking for new grounds for nine months before members set their sights on land on the outskirts of Ipswich.

The lawns are already fenced off (Image: ICC)

East Suffolk Council gave consent for the plans back in January to create four croquet lawns on land to the north of Trinity Park on Bucklesham Road.

The plans also include a maintenance shed, car parking and water tank.

Brian Hunt, the chairman of ICC, said: “We spent about nine months trying to find somewhere else that would have us. The problem is, although croquet doesn't sound like much, it takes quite a large area.

“The project costs us £60,000 which for us, a small club, obviously is quite a lot of money.”

The works at the park started last month with the seeding and fertilising the lawns.

Also, a fence has been put around the premises, and a pavilion has been built.

The pavilion at Trinity Park (Image: ICC)

The aim is to have the works finished by April 2023.

The club, which is temporarily based in Nacton, has around 60 members, who meet up regularly twice a week.

Members of the Ipswich Croquet Club (Image: ICC)

Mr Hunt said: “I suspect the vision of croquet is of old people tottering around a croquet lawn, but we're a bit more than that.

“The majority of the members are more elderly, but there's a huge mixture of people. We had up until this year some schoolchildren from Farlingaye High School. One of the students was among the best players in England.

“We appeal to quite a range of different types of people. We even have a chap who plays on a wheelchair.

“Our oldest member is 94. She only plays once a week and only plays one game, but she does come. The youngest one was 18, but he’s gone off to university.”