Guidance for Safe Play
Croquet is not a dangerous sport but there are potential hazards you should consider.
First Aid and Emergencies
The Club's First Aid box and Accidents Book is located in the clubhouse on the bookshelf.
The Club displays in the clubhouse Fire Action, First Aid and Bleed Control notices, with details of the Club's location, postcode and What3Words address.
Lawn Treatments
Lawns may be treated with toxic chemicals and will be out of play on these occasions. Birds and other wildlife also visit the lawns. In general it is a good idea to wash your hands after handling balls, particularly before eating.
Mallets
Mallets weigh approx 3 pounds (or 1.4kg). It will be painful if you hit your ankle or shin.
Never throw a mallet or wield it above head height. It can damage the lawn or injure someone, and it will be expensive to replace or repair a broken mallet.
Mallets should only be held above the head when requesting refereeing help.
Report any damaged equipment to a member of the Committee.
Hoops
Furniture on the lawns is not forgiving to legs. Never step backwards without looking behind you first. Tripping on a hoop can be dangerous.
Lifting hoops can cause back injuries. Use the hoop lifter in the equipment store for removing tight hoops.
Keep fingers clear of rubber mallets when inserting hoops.
Lawns in play
Access all lawns safely, using the steps and not via the grass banks.
Never walk in front of someone taking a shot, or play when someone is in your line of play.
When double banking players should be aware of what is happening in the other game. In particular do not walk on or off the lawn without looking, alert the striker if you are about to send a ball close to them and watch out for long shots in the other game.
Keep to the paths on site and avoid using lawn edges when a game is in progress.
Use benches at the side of lawns when spectating. Beware that balls can come off lawn 1 at head-height onto lawn 2.
Equipment trolleys
Be careful when wheeling a trolley, do not take one onto a lawn but park it safely on the tarmac closest to your lawn.
Trolleys for lawn 2 are best parked by the clubhouse, not by lawn 3.
All club members are alerted to this guidance annually and when first joining the Club.
A copy of this guidance is available to club members in the clubhouse (Club Policies folder) and on the club website www.yorkcroquet.org
January 2024
Updated December 2025
Safeguarding
Welfare matters at York Croquet Club!
We view the care and protection of children, young people and adults involved in club activities as the responsibility of all who participate in the life of the club.
York Croquet Club follows Croquet England's Child Safeguarding and Adults Safeguarding policies and adheres to CqE's Codes of Conduct (Child Safeguarding and General Code of Conduct)
https://www.croquetengland.org.uk/welfare-matters/welfare-policies/
In addition our club Coaches observe the codes specific to their role, also contained in the CqE Codes of Conduct (Child Safeguarding and General Code of Conduct).
All YCC U18 Licensed Coaches are enhanced DBS checked and follow CqE’s Code of Conduct for Coaching U18s.
The Club has appointed a Welfare/Safeguarding Officer, registered with Croquet England.
If you have any concerns that someone you know is being abused or presents a risk to others, please seek advice from the Club's Welfare/Safeguarding Officer. Contact details are posted in the clubhouse, or on request via
Club coaching
Welcome to Coaching at York Croquet Club
Quality Coaching for All Members
Discover the Joy of Croquet
Whether you are new to croquet or looking to refine your skills, York Croquet Club is delighted to offer ongoing coaching sessions for all members at no extra cost. Whether you are just starting out or have been playing for years, our experienced coaches are here to help you enjoy and excel in this timeless sport.
Personalized Coaching for All Levels
Our coaching programme is designed to cater to a broad range of skill levels in Full Lawn (AC) and Short Lawn (SC) Croquet. For beginners, we provide comprehensive lessons that cover the basics of the game, including rules, techniques, and strategies. More experienced players can benefit from coaching sessions focused on improving specific aspects of their play and mastering new tactics.
Meet Our Coaches
Our team of Club Coaches is comprised of seasoned players with substantial experience in social and competitive croquet. They have all been trained and authorised by Croquet England to offer Coaching at Club Level. They are passionate about sharing their knowledge and helping members develop. With their guidance and encouragement, you can continuously improve your skills and enhance your enjoyment of the game.
Club Coaches
Chris Atkinson
Fiona Crompton
Cathie Dance
* John Harris
Debbie James
Alison Larard
Christine Morris
James Pitt
* Lionel Stock
* Coaches also holding CqE Graded coaching qualifications
Contact Us
We would love to hear from you! Please
Give it a try!
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enhance your croquet skills with great coaching, and take your first step towards becoming a better player.
Croquet 4 Kids
York Croquet Club supports Croquet England's initiative to introduce children to croquet via the Next Generation project.
We are delighted to work with local schools, hosting classes of primary aged children and providing mallet sport activities as an introduction to our sport and as an enhancement to the curriculum.
We run Croquet 4 Kids on Thursdays in August, drop-in fun sessions on a pay-and-play model, £5 per accompanied child.
No need to book, just turn up at the Club for a 2pm start (finish time 4pm).
In 2026 we are working with a local secondary school, offering croquet as a curriculum enhancement activity.
York Croquet Club can also provide bespoke children's croquet parties.
Please enquire by contacting the Club Secretary.
How to find us
York Croquet Club lawns are on Scarcroft Green, Scarcroft Road, York, facing Scarcroft Hill, on land managed by the Scarcroft Green Association. We have sole use of three full-size croquet lawns, two small practice lawns and a Clubhouse. The Club is accessed via the gate in the railings on Scarcroft Road. For satnav, use postcode YO24 1DD. See map below.
On foot: The Club entrance on Scarcroft Road is about 200 yards east from the junction with The Mount and 500 yards west from Bishopthorpe Road.
By car: Please note that there is a very limited amount of parking near the Club. There is a small area of unrestricted parking outside the ground on Scarcroft Road, and another small area also on Scarcroft Road parallel to the Wheatlands Lodge Hotel. The rest of Scarcroft Road offers parking of two hours or less. At weekends there is unrestricted parking on Scarcroft Hill (YO24 1DE) opposite the grounds, and on Wentworth Road – off Scarcroft Hill (YO24 1DG). Albemarle Road (YO23 1EN) offers some unrestricted parking about five minutes’ walk from the ground. There are car parks on Nunnery Lane (YO23 1AA) and at weekends, less expensively at All Saints School (YO23 1AD): look for the gap in the brick wall. Scarcroft Lane provides a direct walking route to the Club grounds from both the Nunnery Lane and the All Saints car parks.
Park and Ride: York’s Park and Ride services stop five minutes’ walk from the ground. From the south, west and north, use Askham Bar (A64) Park and Ride, and alight at the Blossom Street stop. Cross the road at the Everyman Odeon Cinema and turn right to walk out of town, past the KFC restaurant. Go straight over the junction with Holgate Road/East Mount Road. At the next set of lights, turn left down Scarcroft Road. Internet search “York park and ride” for timetable and maps.
By train: the Club is a ten minute walk from the station which has excellent rail links across the country. Turn right out of the main entrance, and, keeping the city walls on your left, walk to the traffic lights. Turn right down Blossom Street. Continue past the cinema and over the junction with Holgate Road/East Mount Road. At the next set of lights, turn left down Scarcroft Road. The Club is on the left after the six semi-detached houses.
By bus: there are some two dozen local and regional bus links within five minutes’ walk of York Croquet Club. Alight/board at The Mount bus stop for services 4, 12, 13, 13A, 24, 37, and Yorkshire Coastliner 840, 843, 844 and 845. Alight/board at the Blossom Street bus stop for services 1, 3, 10, 10A, 14, 16, 40, 44, 142, 143, 412, 413, 743, X40 and X45. Alight/board on Scarcroft Road for service 11 and on Bishopthorpe Road for services 11A, 21 and 26.
See https://www.itravelyork.info/
