Cowdray Gold Cup poloWhere to stay for the Cowdray Gold Cup polo

What it is and when

The Gold Cup is the British Open Polo Championship. It has been played at Cowdray Park, on the edge of Midhurst, every July since 1956. It is a tournament and not a single day: matches are played over several weeks and it ends with a Sunday final.

The 2027 dates were not published when we wrote this. As a guide, the 2026 tournament ran from 23 June to 19 July with the final on Sunday 19 July, and the 2025 final was on Sunday 20 July. So expect late June to mid or late July, with the final on a Sunday in the second half of July. Check the Cowdray Park Polo Club page before you fix a date.

Getting there from the farm and back

Midhurst is about 25 minutes’ drive from West Marden. That is our estimate in normal traffic, across the Downs. Final day will be busier at the ground, so give yourself longer.

One thing to watch: if the 2027 final falls on Sunday 18 July, it will be the same day as the last day of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The roads around Goodwood will be slow that weekend. Parking at the houses is free.

Why a house for the polo

Polo is a picnic sport as much as anything. With a kitchen of your own you can make the picnic properly, pack the car and go. In the evening you come back to a garden and, in July, a heated outdoor pool.

Each house has its own front door, kitchen and garden. Keepers, The Old Stables and Barley Cottage each sleep 4 in two bedrooms. A party can take two or all three, up to 12 people. See whole-farm hire. Check-in is from 4pm and check-out is by 10am. The farm has been in the family since 1947 and covers 1,000 acres.

What else to do

Because the tournament runs for weeks, you can see a match on a quieter day and have the rest of the stay to yourselves. Uppark and Harting Down are on the way to Midhurst. Singleton and West Dean are on the other road back. Our day trips page covers Midhurst and Petworth.

Late June and July are full of other things. The Festival of Chichester runs from 12 June to 18 July 2027, and Glorious Goodwood is 27 to 31 July. A week here can take in polo, racing and a concert without much driving.

When to book

We cannot give you the final date yet, and nor can anyone else. If you want final weekend, the safest thing is to message us on WhatsApp now and we will tell you what is free across the likely Sundays. Mid-July is busy because of the Festival of Speed, when there is a three-night minimum stay, so do not leave it until the polo dates come out. Book direct with no booking fees.