Cowdray Polo, Midhurst

Cowdray Park in Midhurst is one of the most storied polo venues in the world, often described as the home of British polo. Set within the Cowdray Estate on the edge of the South Downs National Park, the grounds host high-goal polo throughout the summer, including the prestigious Cowdray Gold Cup for the British Open Championship, played each July.

Visitors can watch matches from the boundary or the members' enclosure across a series of immaculate playing fields backed by rolling parkland and the wooded slopes of St Ann's Hill. Match days have a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere: you'll see the traditional half-time divot stomp, hospitality marquees, food stalls and the pony lines where grooms tack up strings of ponies between chukkas.

Polo has been played at Cowdray since 1910, and the club was central to the sport's post-war revival under the 3rd Viscount Cowdray. Beyond the polo itself, the surrounding estate is worth exploring, with the ruins of Cowdray House, the River Rother, and walking routes into Midhurst town all within easy reach.