The Hambledon Memorial erected in 1908 at Broadhalfpenny Down.
The origins of the modern Hambledon Club
Our central purpose: “To honour the memory and great achievements of the Hambledon Club 1750-1796.”
During the “Glory Days” of Hambledon cricket, more than two hundred years ago, the cricket was funded by an aristocratic dining club. John Nyren (1764–1837), Author & Cricketer, son of Richard Nyren, describes in his book ‘The Cricketers of My Time’
“There was high feasting held on Broad-Halfpenny during the solemnity of one of our grand matches. Oh! it was a heart-stirring sight to witness the multitude forming a complete and dense circle round that noble green. Half the county would be present, and all their hearts with us. Little Hambledon, pitted against all England, was a proud thought for the Hampshire men. Defeat was glory in such a struggle – victory, indeed, made us only ‘a little lower than the angels.”
In 1998, 90 years after the memorial stone was set, the famous club’s newest historian Ashley Mote approached Dick Orders, then landlord of the Bat & Ball Inn, and Hampshire’s historians Neil Jenkinson, Andrew Renshaw, Dave Allen, and Stephen Saunders, with a view to reviving the dining club.
At this exploratory meeting, they agreed to hold luncheons at the beginning and end of each season, attracting high-quality guest speakers and flourishing membership. The first modern luncheon was held at the Bat and Ball Inn on Saturday, 10 April 1999, and continued without interruption for 20 years until the COVID-19 Pandemic halted meetings for two seasons until Saturday, 26 March 2022, when they resumed once again.
Read more: The First Modern Luncheon
