TOP 10 Traditional English Games
Bowls
Bowls is steeped in rich English history, the most famous ‘story’ being Sir Frances Drake and the Spanish Armada. On July 18, 1588, Sir Drake was partaking in a game at Plymouth Hoe when he was notified that the Spanish Armada were approaching. His immortalised response was that “We still have time to finish the game and to thrash the Spaniards, too.” He then proceeded to finish the match which he lost before embarking on the fight with the Armada which he won. Whether this is just a ‘story’ we will never know.
Croquet
Croquet it quickly became popular in England in 1852. It was particularly embraced by women because it was the first outdoor sport which could be played by both sexes on an equal footing. The first national headquarters was the Wimbledon All England Croquet Club (later to become the Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Tennis
In the 14th century, Tennis found its way to England where both Henry VII and Henry VIII apparently became keen players and instigated the building of courts up and down the country. Supposedly, Henry VIII himself invented the ‘service’ – his servants used to throw the ball up in the air for him because he was too fat to do it himself.
Although domino tiles are clearly of Chinese inheritance, there is debate over whether the game played by Europeans was brought by the Chinese to Europe in the eighteenth century or, in fact, was invented independently. The word “Domino” is French for a black and white hood worn by Christian priests in winter which is probably where the name of the game derives from.
Dominoes Set in Black Lacquer Box - Thomas Lyte
Backgammon-type games have been played for thousands of years in all parts of the world and certainly during the Egyptian, Greek and Roman eras.
In the early seventeenth centurythe game of backgammon underwent a revival and swept across Europe again under a variety of different names which have mostly stayed the same until the popular game it is today. It is a subject of debate as to whether the term Backgammon is derived from the Welsh ‘back’ (little) and ‘gammon’ (battle) or from the Saxon ‘bac’ (back) ‘gamen’ (game).
Leather Backgammon Set - Thomas Lyte
The invention of Cribbage, Crib for short, was attributed to the poet Sir John Suckling (1609 – 1642) by his biographer, John Aubrey. Suckling was something of a scoundrel by all accounts, “the greatest gallant of his time, the greatest gamester both for bowling and cards, so that no shopkeeper would trust him for sixpence”. He was an expert at cards, dice and bowls as well as being a womaniser and notorious wit on top of his poetry day-job. These days Cribbage is one of the most popular card games around and is still played all over Britain in pubs and is The only card game that can legally be played for money in English pubs.
Bridge is derived from the 17th century card game whist, which was in vogue among the English nobility of the time. By the turn of the century, the game evolved into plafond (“ceiling”) in France and auction bridge elsewhere in the world. In 1925, the game that we know today was derived from auction bridge and plafond. Contract bridge was invented by the American Harold Vanderbilt, who had some invaluable idle time on a steamship cruise. Bridge is one of the few games played today by people of all ages, races, and nationalities.
Leather Games Box Set with Playing Catds, Cribbage Board, Contract Bridge Score Cards, Dominoes
There is nothing particularly original about the card play aspect of the game of Poker. Card games in Europe had for centuries featured all of the different scoring combinations and much of the similar principles of betting too. Poker is without doubt the most successful and popular betting and bluffing game in existence today. Supposedly we have also have poker to thank for the invention of the Sandwich. John Mantagu, the Earl of Sandwich, a keen poker enthusiast venerated the game of poker so much that he refused to leave his gaming table to eat. The legend goes that he ordered a waiter to bring him roast-beef between two slices of bread. The Earl was able to continue his game of poker whilst eating his snack.
Club Poker Chest Set in Wenge Wood
Old English Skittles
Of all the modern games, this is the game with the oldest pedigree. Illustrations from centuries ago show pins of exactly the same form and similar cheeses being hurled down the length of the alley in the same way. The game is now very rare but can still be played at the famous Freemasons Arms in Hampstead. Often under threat of closure, we can but hope that this last bastion of real Old English Skittles can be maintained for the future.
Darts
The sport of darts began as training in archery in Medieval England. Archery students shortened some arrows threw them at the bottom of an empty wine barrel. A game as fun as darts could not be hidden from the upper classes and they soon put their own stamp on the game. The oft married Henry VIII was reputed to enjoy the game immensely. So much so, that he was given a beautifully ornate set by Anne Boleyn. Darts remained largely an Anglo-American sport until the Victorian age when it was spread world-wide by the great expansion of the British Empire. It seems that the “sun never set on the British Empire”. At the same time, there was never a time when a dart was not in the air.