Our History
Since 1874
how it began
The New Club has been at the heart of Cheltenham society since it was founded in 1874 as a gentleman’s club, modelled on the great London clubs, and intended like them from its inception to provide comfort, entertainment, a place to meet friends and an excellent cuisine for its members in an attractive environment in which they could relax and which was for many a home-from-home.
Upholding values
Edward Wilson, Scott of the Antarctic’s great friend, drank here before joining him on his expeditions including the last, fateful, Antarctic voyage; WG Grace relaxed at the New Club when he captained both Gloucestershire and England. The Club has changed with the times, welcoming women members and adapting to changing social norms. Still, its original aims of providing its members with comfort, entertainment, a place to meet friends and an excellent cuisine are unchanged. Today, the front-of-house staff still wear the Club livery of navy jackets and red waistcoats.
An unforgotten legacy
Choosing the best location for the New Club’s home was a priority. By the 1870s, the Promenade was the town’s smartest street and the Queen’s was the leading hotel. Imperial Gardens was an informal outdoor space, and the New Club committee was able to purchase the northwest corner.
In 1978, the club moved to its current location, a lovely Regency building, just a stone’s throw from the original site. But we have not forgotten our past: the original porter’s chair, ‘covered in American cloth’, still stands in the hallway of the New Club today.
From the time it displaced the two existing gentlemen’s clubs, no other establishment has ever threatened the New Club’s position as the pre-eminent social club for members in the town.
