Courts in England and Wales
- Aldenham School, Elstree, Herts
6 courts. 4 were built in 1916. A plaque at the courts reads "These Four Courts were erected in 1916 by the kindly bequest of E H Mariette for many years boy and Master at Aldenham." A further two were added in 1926. All six courts are in good condition - back to back.
1916 Courts under construction | Completed courts
See also Former Courts - Aysgarth Preparatory School, Bedale, North Yorkshire
2 courts. - Berkhamsted Collegiate School, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
6 courts. Good condition. Painted white. - Bryanston, Blandford, Dorset
3 courts. They adjoin the Sports Centre and are enclosed. The tops of the buttresses are steeper than usual which means the ball never sits up off the buttress. - Caius College, Cambridge University, Cambridgeshire
2 courts. Still standing but with top brickwork reduced - Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey
8 courts. - Cranleigh School, Cranleigh, Surrey
6 courts - back to back. Excellent condition . - Downham Hall - Home to the Clitheroe family, Clitheroe, Lancashire
1 court. Built in 1875; It has some interesting features; it has a mobile wooden buttress, which is in no way new, but was probably built at the same time as the court; it has a roof, which was probably erected at the same time as the court, which if accurate, would make it the oldest covered court in the country; the roof is a little low; there is no step; and of course no dead man's hole. - Eaton City of Norwich School, Norwich, Norfolk
2 courts. Good condition. Irregular buttresses.. - Emanuel School, Wandsworth South West London
3 courts. Good condition. - Eton College, Eton, Berkshire
15 Courts. 16th Court under construction 2002. Opening May 10 2003 Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 Picture 4
Courts 9-15. In the days when there were few purpose built games courts, men played all games against any wall which was available. The buttresses of churches were particularly convenient so it is not surprising that those of College Chapel standing as it does in School Yard, the centre of School life at Eton, provided natural courts for the boys to play in. The first purpose built Fives courts were situated along the Eton Wick Road, and were built at Eton under the direction of Dr.Hawtrey, one of its great 19th century Headmasters. Dr.Hawtrey laid the foundation stone for the four purpose built courts in 1840. Eight more courts were added in 1847, a further two in 1864. In 1871 Old Etonians subscribed sufficient money to build twelve 'open' courts at the side of the Field and by 1888 there were thirty in all. Eventually the total peaked at thirty-six including eight covered courts provided by the Old Etonians in 1923. The following fifty years saw a gradual reduction in the number with the largest loss at any one time of eighteen courts demolished in 1978 to make way for an indoor swimming pool. To-day 15 covered courts remain, all in good condition.
150 Years of Fives at Eton
Eton and Harrow Centenary Fives Match - Harrow School, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex
16 courts. The first Harrow Courts were built in 1864 but, in those days, little importance was attracted to accuracy of measurement and those four courts were significantly different from those at Eton. In 1880 four 'black' courts, now replaced, were built largely due to the enthusiam of Mr G H Hallam (himself a Salopian and later House Master of the Park) who was the earliest patron of Fives at Harrow. A further two were added in 1889. Six more courts were built in 1892/93 in memory of Arthur Macnamara, killed in the Alps. Victories of E H Crake and R E Eiloart, who won all their matches against Eton, home and away, for three seasons from 1904 to 1906 inspired Old Harrovians to collect enough money to build a covered court in their memory in 1908. The arrival of a Fives-playing Head Master, Lionel Ford, in 1910, led to further building. Six of the existing courts were covered and eleven new ones built, eight being covered. In 1911 the School could boast fifteen covered courts. Although all the open courts fell into disuse together with the Memorial Court, unfortunately built in an isolated position, the School still possesses sixteen covered courts which re-flooring and lighting in the sixties and re-roofing in the seventies have kept in playing condition.
Eton and Harrow Centenary Fives Match
Fives at Harrow 1863-91 - High Elms (former home of Lord Avery), Orpington, Kent
1 court . Now has a shortened roof. - High Wycombe Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, Bucks
2 open air courts. Playable - Highgate School, Highgate, North London
18 courts. Good condition. First courts built prior to 1888. - Hymers College, Hull
3 courts. Not playable. Used for storage. - Ipswich School, Ipswich Suffolk
3 courts. Two built in 1908 and one in 1992 Good condition.
Formal opening and The inaugural match in progress on the new court.
The Courts | Picture 2 in 2005
Early History and the opening of the third court in 1992
2 Rugby Fives Courts built towards the end of the nineteenth century were demolished in the 1950s.One RUGBY FIVES court was built in the main quadrangle in Rigaud's time, and another added in Holden's, but they more often gave shelter to bare-fist fights than Fives matches. From 1868 the single and doubles Fives finals were played on Sports Day. On his arrival in 1906, A.K.Watson provided two ETON FIVES courts and Ipswich pairs soon beat their rivals from Bury School. By 1942 the game had died and the Rugby Fives courts were in use as coal sheds until demolished in the developments of the 1950s. When Martin Shortland-Jones joined the staff the Eton game was revived in newly covered courts; he married James Young's daughter. The game has remained popular since and a third court was built in 1992. Its survival was ensured when Barry Hoskins learned to love the courts in the early seventies, and OIs Mike Fenn and Peter Boughton, Bursar, gave him every support to expand the fixture list and to encourage female participation. Indeed the mathematics teacher Karen Runnacles (later Hoskins) partnered Peter to win the national mixed competition, and the women's title with outside partners.
- King Alfred School, North London
2 courts built 1926/27. Not playable, last used in the 1960s. Used for storage. - King's College, Taunton, Devon
1 court - non-standard (originally 3 courts). 1 court still in existence June 2002
Information provided by Chris Little - "King Edward's Camp Hill School Middleway," Birmingham, Warwickshire
1 court.
Trevor Wellings, an old boy of Camp Hill School writes in 2005:"There is still our old Fives Court at the former Camp Hill School (moved to King's Heath circa 1945) which is used by the local education authority for Islamic tuition.
There is no fives court or activity at the new school at Kings Heath."
- King Edward's School, Edgbaston, Birmingham
6 courts. Good condition. Painted battleship grey. - King's School, Ely, Cambridgeshire
1 court. Wider court than normal. No side wall beyond the buttress - Lancing College, Lancing, Sussex
4 courts - two enclosed 2004. Good condition. - Ludgrove Preparatory School Wokingham, Berkshire
2 courts. Good condition - Magdalene College, Cambridge University, Cambridgeshire
1 court. Good condition. - Marlborough College, Marlborough, Wiltshire
4 courts. Reasonable condition. - Mill Hill School, North London
3 Enclosed Courts built in
2006 replacing former courts built circa 1921. September 10th 2006, Old Millhillians Day, witnessed the formal opening of the three new Eton Fives courts at the School. Old Millhillians, School staff, Governors, EFA members, school boys, parents and friends gathered at the courts on what was a fine sunny day. The Headmaster, William Winfield, welcomed those present before asking Richard Barber, Chairman of the Eton Fives Association to formally open the courts. Andrew Summers spoke on behalf of the Old Millhillians whilst Steve Plummer, Master-in-charge of Fives at Mill Hill, acted as master of ceremonies. Champagne was served to mark the occasion whilst the spectators witnessed demonstration games of Fives by experienced and younger players. - National Westminster Bank Training Cenure , Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire
1 court. - Neale Wade Community College, March, Cambridgeshire
3 courts. Non-standard - Oakham School, Oakham, Rutland
3 non-standard Courts. | Internal picture
Laid out side by side in a superb location - edge of playing fields and close to boarding houses. The centre has bevelled edges on all the wooden roof supports and structure, and has an excellent transluscent roof for the back two thirds.The original plaster has not been painted, and the original stone carved buttress coping is in very good condition. Re-furbished and enclosed 2002. - Orley Farm Peparatory School, Harrow, Middlesex
1 training court built in 2000. Non-standard. - Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire
2 courts. Built 1974/1975. Good condition. - Repton School, Repton, Derbyshire
12 courts. Good condition. - Rossall School, Fleetwood, Lancashire
8 hybrid courts adjustable for use by all codes - Rydal School, Colwyn Bay
4 courts. - St.Bartholomew's School, Newbury, Berkshire
2 Courts Open air. In poor condition 2005 but resurfaced and brought back into use in 2006 with assistance from the Eton Fives Association. - St.Bees School, St Bees, Cumbria
3 courts. - St John's School, Leatherhead, Surrey
4 Courts Open air with no step and no side wall behind the buttresses. Rugby Fives 'Grill' on front wall. The courts are dedicated to the memory of Charles Churchill, former Chairman of Governors. - St.Olave's Grammar School, Orpington, Kent
4 indoor courts. Good condition. - Shrewsbury School, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
14 courts. Reasonable condition. - Stoneyhurst College, Clitheroe, Lancashire
At least 2 courts. Peter Anwyl, Director of Admissions, reports that the courts are still in existence in June 2002 but are no longer in use. They are structurally attached to the College's old squash courts which were converted from racquets courts in 1933. They were referred to as the Eton Fives courts and are conventionally built.
Information provided by Chris Little June 2002 - Stowe School, Stowe, Buckinghamshire
3 courts. - Summer Fields Preparatory School, Oxford, Oxfordshire
2 courts. Good condition. - Sunningdale Preparatory School, Ascot, Berkshire
3 Courts. Good condition.
1892 As you can see Sunningdale played 3 matches – 2 against Cheam who sadly no longer have courts and one against the Girdlestonites who were probably a scratch side raised by Canon Girdlestone, the then headmaster.
Sunningdale Courts Court - The Leys School, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
2 courts. Reasonable condition. - Thomas Alleyne's High School, Uttoxeter
The court in 1989. Still used as a store in 2000Clive Nicklin reports in March 2003 - "Further to your list of courts in England, I believe, reading a message on Friends Reunited, that the court at Thomas Alleyne's has recently been demolished. (If true, this is a pity. Some friends and I used the court while at school in the mid 1970's and enjoyed the game very much)."
- Torry Hill Estate Sittingbourne, Kent - History and Pictures
1 court. Open Air. Good condition. Built in 1924. - Uppingham School, Uppingham, Rutland
8 courts. A block of 4 in reasonable condition (Constables) and 2 situated at Fircroft and 2 more at Brooklands. Also several non-standard courts. First 'House' courts were built between 1853 and 1855. Disused during the 1990s but brought back into use 2002-2004.
Early Fives at Uppingham - Westminster School, Central London
3 Courts. First courts were built in 1866 - Westway, Shepherd's Bush, London W10 6RP
4 Courts. Under Construction Picture 1 Picture 2
On Opening Day 19th October 2001 Picture 1 Picture 2
History of the Sports Complex - Wolverhampton Grammar School, Wolverhampton
6 courts. Two Rugby Fives courts were converted to Eton Fives in 1983 making 4 in total.
These were demolished and replaced in the early 90s by 6 new courts. - Wrekin College, Telford, Shropshire
7 courts. 3 playable, 4 storage, 1 boiler room.
Created 14th January 2000 by Mike Fenn
Last Updated 28 February 2005
efa@etonfives.co.uk