# Polo Clubs in England for Beginners: A County Guide
England has more polo clubs than most people realise — over sixty are registered with the Hurlingham Polo Association, and the majority run beginner lessons or taster sessions during the April to September season. This guide covers the main options by region, with notes on which clubs actively cater to newcomers and what makes each area worth considering.
If you already know roughly where you want to ride, use the Saddl polo venue search to find clubs near you. What follows is intended as an overview rather than an exhaustive directory.
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Surrey and Greater London
Surrey has the highest concentration of polo clubs in England by area. Guards Polo Club at Smith's Lawn in Windsor Great Park is the largest polo club in Europe by number of registered players, and its academy arm runs structured beginner courses alongside open taster sessions. The setting — inside Windsor Great Park — is as good as it gets.
Hurtwood Park Polo Club near Cranleigh runs a strong beginner programme and is easier to get to from south London than Windsor. Ascot Park, Epsom, Ash Farm near Chertsey, Westcroft Park near Chobham, and Burningfold near Dunsfold round out the Surrey options. Between them they cover most of the county and have varying levels of emphasis on teaching versus competitive play.
Ham Polo Club in Richmond is the closest polo ground to central London, sitting within the park a short walk from Richmond station.
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West Sussex and the South East
Cowdray Park Polo Club near Midhurst is the most prestigious polo venue in England. It hosts the Gold Cup in late July — the domestic equivalent of a major, and one of the best-attended polo events in the British calendar. Cowdray runs beginner polo alongside its high-goal circuit, and for anyone who wants to understand the sport properly before committing to lessons, watching a match here first is worth the journey.
All England Polo Club Hickstead near Hassocks shares a site with one of England's best-known show jumping venues. Knepp Castle Polo Club near West Grinstead is set within the Knepp rewilding estate. Sussex Polo Club near Crawley Down and Brightling and Oakwood Park in East Sussex complete the county options.
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Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds
The Cotswolds is the heartland of English polo outside Surrey. Four clubs are within a short drive of Cirencester alone.
Cirencester Park Polo Club has been playing on the Earl Bathurst estate since 1894, making it one of England's oldest. The Cotswold Polo Academy runs specifically tailored beginner courses and is a practical starting point for newcomers in the area. Beaufort Polo Club near Tetbury plays at a higher level and hosts the Festival of Polo in May. Edgeworth near Stroud and Longdole near Gloucester are smaller clubs better suited to a lower-key introduction to the game.
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Berkshire
Six polo clubs are listed in Berkshire, all within striking distance of Windsor. Guards Polo Academy in Ascot is the teaching arm of the Guards organisation, set up specifically for structured instruction. The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, Fifield and Ranelagh Farm are all near Windsor. Clover Polo near Bracknell runs lessons for adult beginners throughout the season.
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Hampshire and Dorset
New Forest Polo Club at Brockenhurst sits in the southern New Forest and runs a season of matches and beginner sessions from spring onwards. It's one of the better-situated clubs in the south outside Surrey. Dorset Polo Club near Poole covers the west of the region.
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Hertfordshire
Silver Leys Polo Club near Ware and Hertfordshire Polo Club at Letty Green are both accessible from north London and the M25 corridor — a useful option for anyone based in the Home Counties north of the river who doesn't want the drive to Surrey.
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Midlands
Dallas Burston Polo Club near Southam in Warwickshire is one of the more accessible clubs in central England, with a full teaching programme and well-maintained grounds. It's a reasonable drive from Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester and Northampton. vO Polo Club near Market Harborough and Rutland Polo Club cover the east of the region.
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Lincolnshire
Leadenham Polo Club near Lincoln and Dart Polo near Gainsborough serve the East Midlands and Lincolnshire. Both run beginner sessions and represent a less crowded entry point than the Surrey and Berkshire clubs — instruction is often more personal and the cost of lessons tends to be lower.
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Yorkshire and the North
Toulston Polo Club near Tadcaster and Bramham Polo Academy near Wetherby are the main clubs in West and North Yorkshire. Bramham specifically runs a teaching academy and is a good first call for anyone based in Leeds, York or Harrogate. White Rose Polo Club near York covers the East Riding.
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Cheshire and the North West
Cheshire Polo Club near Tarporley and JF Polo Academy near Chester both run beginner sessions. JF is specifically geared toward teaching, making it the more practical starting point for someone new to the sport in the North West.
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Essex and East Anglia
Little Bentley Park Polo Club near Colchester and Moor Hall Farm Polo Club near Harlow cover Essex. Cambridge and Newmarket Polo Club covers Cambridgeshire. All three run beginner polo and are considerably less busy than the Surrey and Berkshire clubs.
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Scotland
Edinburgh Polo Club near Currie and Stewarton Polo Club near South Queensferry both play in Lothians. Gleneagles Equestrian School in Perthshire runs polo lessons alongside its broader equestrian programme — the most consistently accessible introduction to polo north of the border. The Dundee & Perth Polo Club covers central Scotland.
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When to go
The outdoor season runs April to September. Most clubs are at their busiest in June and July when the high-goal season peaks. For beginner lessons, May, early June or August tend to work well — the ground is in good condition and you're not competing with match days for the coach's time. Book ahead; beginner slots fill faster than most clubs expect once interest picks up.