A Shepherd Neame pub is now home to a blue plaque commemorating where the Canterbury and District Bat and Trap League was founded in 1922.
The brewer has worked closely with the Canterbury Society to arrange for the plaque to be put up at Ye Olde Beverlie to celebrate the part it played in the sport’s history.
The beginning for the quintessentially British sport was laid in a meeting held there on Thursday, 22 September 1922.
Shepherd Neame held a successful centenary celebration at Ye Olde Beverlie in 2022, which included the chance for guests to try their hand at the game in the pub garden where it was first played.
The pub’s general manager Scott Senior, pictured in front of the plaque, said: “Bat and trap is still alive and kicking at Ye Olde Beverlie. We are honoured to be able to commemorate its beginnings here, and it is fitting that we are able to do so where it is still being enjoyed – and will be for years to come.”
Bat and trap is a traditional pub ball game that is played across Kent and in parts of Brighton. It involves two teams, with the batting side attempting to score runs by getting the ball between two posts while the opposition tries to catch them out.
Ye Olde Beverlie hosts both men’s and women’s teams. Work is underway to provide a refreshed pitch for the 2024 season.
