The heart &
the heritage Discover more about the unique history of the home of polo over the past 1,000 years
Hurlingham was the cradle and home of English polo and for sixty-five years, the game flourished there and made the name of the Club famous all over the polo-playing world. A favourite resort during the summer season, thousands flocked to Hurlingham to watch the more important matches.” This quote, taken from The Hurlingham Clubby Captain Taprell Dorling (1953) perfectly sums up the importance and relevance of The Hurlingham Club in the history of British polo; and in an interesting coincidence, it was our own ‘Team GB’ that won gold in the last London Olympic polo battle (1908), which was also played at The Hurlingham Club. Although it was widely considered to be the home of polo, the sport was not played at Club between 1939 and 2009, when MINT Polo In The Park finally brought the game back home. We find out more… THE HURLINGHAM CLUB From before 1066 the lands of the Hurlingham Club belonged to the Bishops of London, who had their summer residence at Fulham Palace. By the mid-eighteenth century the landscape was one of gardens and in 1760 Dr William Cadogan (a famous physician), leased nine acres for a ‘cottage’ – the core of the present Hurlingham House. 26