Things to do · Tetbury
Beaufort Polo Club
A polo club at Westonbirt near Tetbury, home of the Tomlinson family, where spectators watch free through the summer season, from late April to September.
Dog-friendly
Free polo on summer weekends, with a picnic and the dog: about as relaxed as a day of top-level sport gets. Only the Beaufort International in June charges.
- Good: Free entry to every tournament except the Beaufort International
- Good: Dogs welcome on a lead
- Good: Picnics welcome; no dress code
- Worth knowing: Umbrellas and gazebos not allowed, for the ponies' safety
- Worth knowing: Check the fixture list: match days vary
About
Beaufort Polo Club plays at Down Farm, Westonbirt, a few miles south-west of Tetbury. It has six boarded grounds and is home to the Tomlinson polo family; the club calls itself the foremost centre for the development of polo in the Cotswolds. The first Beaufort club was founded in 1872, and members of the Beaufort Hunt formed a new club in the winter of 1928 to 1929; Simon and Claire Tomlinson revived it in its present form in 1989.
From late April to September there are matches on weekends and weekdays, and spectators get into all of them free, except the Beaufort International in June, which is ticketed and comes with a shopping village. Check the fixture list on the club's website, or ring the polo office on a weekday, before you go.
The rest is easy. There is no dress code, picnics are welcome, and well-behaved dogs can come on a lead. The only rule to remember is no umbrellas or gazebos, which can frighten the ponies; take your rubbish home or use the bins. The Chukka Trailer sells food and drink at every game, and the clubhouse opens from Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm to 11pm.
An afternoon of chukkas pairs well with Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, just down the road, for a morning walk first.
Opening hours and season
Summer polo from late April to September (27 April to 12 September in 2026), on weekends and weekdays; winter arena polo has its own fixture list. Clubhouse Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm to 11pm.
Facilities
- Chukka TrailerFood and drink at all polo games
- ClubhouseOpen Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm to 11pm
- DogsWelcome on a lead
The details
- Time to allow
- An afternoon
- Features
- Bar · Picnic area · Views
- History
- Old club founded 1872; revived by Simon and Claire Tomlinson in 1989
Photos
A match at the Beaufort 
Chasing the ball 
At full gallop 
Crowds along the boards
Location
Places to stay nearby
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Hare and Hounds
Hotel · Tetbury
A hotel at Westonbirt near Tetbury, close to the National Arboretum, with the Gamekeeper's Cottage and its hot tub next door, and dogs welcome.
Dog-friendly · Hot tubs · Wedding venues
Verified Oct 2026
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Calcot Manor and Spa
Hotel · Tetbury
A hotel and spa on a 220-acre estate near Tetbury, with family suites, a cottage and treehouses among its rooms.
Family-friendly
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Angel Cottage
Self-catering · Tetbury
A holiday cottage for two on New Church Street in the middle of Tetbury, for short breaks or weekly stays.
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Nearby walks, places and things to do
- Hare and Hounds 1.0 km away
- Westonbirt, The National Arboretum 1.2 km away
- Highgrove Gardens 2.5 km away
- The Cat & Custard Pot Inn 3.9 km away
Sights nearby
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St Catherine's Church, Westonbirt
Sight · Church · Tetbury
The former parish church of Westonbirt, south-west of Tetbury, now in the grounds of Westonbirt School beside the Holfords' great house: twelfth to fifteenth century, with Holford monuments including the effigy of Robert Stayner Holford, who began the arboretum.
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Beverston Castle
Sight · Castle or ruin · Tetbury
The ruin of a thirteenth-century castle at Beverston, west of Tetbury, built by Maurice de Gaunt and enlarged by the Berkeleys, twice besieged in 1644 and now part of a private house, its gatehouse, towers and moat seen from the lane and churchyard.
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St Mary's Church, Beverston
Sight · Church · Tetbury
Beverston's parish church beside the castle, west of Tetbury: a Norman church on a probably Saxon site, extended by the Berkeleys in 1361, with a pre-Conquest carving of Christ on the tower, a Tudor stone pulpit and a fifteenth-century screen. Grade II*.
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Cutwell Bridge, Tetbury
Sight · Bridge · Tetbury
A small packhorse and foot bridge of about 1622 on the old road into Tetbury from the south-west: one triangular stone arch about a metre high over a tributary of the Avon, with a long ramp. Grade II, on a public path the Tetbury town walk follows.