The 309th Coaching Club meet

As our Livery Company approaches its 350th anniversary, we are particularly reminded of our coachmaking heritage. Despite the automobile having usurped the harness horse as king of the road more than a century ago, the traditions of the road are maintained by the oldest driving club in the world; the Coaching Club, founded in 1871. Its members hold regular coaching meets; including driving coaches to Royal Ascot each year. Our Renter Warden, Mark Broadbent is the president of this auspicious club, and, appropriately, will be Master, subject to election, in our 350th year.

The Coaching Club’s first president was Charles Henry Somerset, the 8th Duke of Beaufort and the family’s country seat at Badminton is regarded by many as the home of this very English sporting pursuit. What follows is a shortened version of an article reporting on the Coaching Club meet held there in August last year.

Charles Henry Somerset’s obituary outlines the 8th Duke of Beaufort’s reputation as one of England’s greatest sporting gentlemen:

“As a coachman few amateurs have attained to greater fame than the late Duke. when the Four-in-Hand Driving Club was founded in 1856, the Duke at once became a member and was subsequently its president, and he was also the father of the Coaching Club, which was established in 1870. In olden times he drove a good deal, not only on the Brighton road, but also on the Bath and Dover roads, and there were few professionals to whom he was known, (and there were many) who did not feel that when entrusting the reins to the Duke they were being superseded for the time being by one to whom they could give little if anything away.” – Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News, 6th May 1899.

125 years after his death, the Duke’s status is undiminished and Badminton House is regarded as the Mecca of coaching by enthusiasts all over the world. Today’s estate is a busy commercial enterprise, with many facets to its operation. Alongside being a thriving farm, the estate lets and manages 200 properties, is a successful wedding and event venue and a highly sought after film location; to say nothing of its annual commitment to the Badminton Horse Trials. With such a busy schedule it is never straight forward to organise a meet at this historically important venue, so the Coaching Club was delighted to accept the 12th Duke of Beaufort’s kind invitation to hold its 309th meet there on 23rd August 2024, when 10 coaches came forward to drive through the estate’s glorious parkland on a lovely Friday afternoon.

Club President, Renter Warden Mark Broadbent, held a driver’s briefing at 10am to welcome all members to the 309th meet of the Club, explain the route and the order of events. As tradition dictates, the coaches depart in the order of members’ seniority, with the lead always taken by the Club’s most senior officer in this case the president. The coaches were asked to assemble at the north front of Badminton House at 11.45am for a group photograph.

Pictured above: The Company’s Renter Warden and Club President Mark Broadbent, driving his team of Dutch warmbloods put to a May & Jacobs’ park drag, seen here approaching the north front of Badminton House ready to take his place at the head of the line. His guests included the owners of the coach, Michael and Amanda Horley, and our recently retired Clerk, Commander Mark Leaning and his wife Lt Commander Rachel Firth.

The 10 coaches set off at 12 noon on a 6.5-mile drive through the estate, stopping for refreshments at Worcester Lodge, before returning to the Old Hall, where afternoon tea was served to members and their guests.

1896 Coaching Club meet in Hyde Park

Historically the meets of both the Four-in-Hand Club and the Coaching Club attracted a great deal of public attention and were always reported on in some detail by the press: “both clubs meet twice a year, generally at the Magazine in Hyde-park; the Four-in-Hand Club’s first meet being always the Wednesday before the Derby, and the other gatherings fixed later on,” – Dickens’ Dictionary of London, by Charles Dickens Jr, 1879.

Their meets in central London were highlights of the social season and caused so much congestion in Hyde Park that the coaches then gathered at Horse Guards Parade to help alleviate the problem:

“At the height of the London season there are few more popular functions than a meet of the Coaching Club or of the Four-in-Hand Club in the Ladies’ Mile – as the broad drive in Hyde Park on the north side of the Serpentine is called. On such occasions an immense crowd of fashionable persons goes to see the gathering and to discuss the horses and the people on the drags, which sometimes number between thirty and forty. It is always a very gay scene in fine weather, as may be imagined from the picture,” – The Queen’s London, published by Cassells & Co, 1896.

Press reports of the time listed the coachmen and their guests in some detail, and as this picture taken from the July 1913 edition of the Sphere clearly shows, many lords, ladies and knights of the realm were commonly in attendance. Their desire to attend was probably influenced by the fact that these meets were the social highlights of the London season.

Fast forward over a century and the demographic of today’s participants at a Coaching Club meet is somewhat different. Alongside members’ invited guests, you will find a broad spectrum of coaching and traditional driving enthusiasts from a variety of backgrounds; all coming together to enjoy the road and help perpetuate the traditions of the world’s oldest driving club. Their number includes carriage restorers, harness and whip makers, horn blowers and some of the country’s finest whips, (coachmen); carrying out every role imaginable to present these immaculate coaching turnouts.

Liveryman John Brown with his team of Gelderlanders to their Shanks Drag. When put to his Tally Ho road coach, this team has been shown with much success; winning the Road Coach Class at Royal Windsor Horse Show on a number of occasions.

Paul White’s team of Gelderlanders to his Holland & Holland Drag, another successful show team, securing the Coaching Championship at Royal Windsor in 2024 and 2025 in the hands of Paul’s son, Max – one of the Club’s youngest members.

Daniel Williams was sworn as a Freeman of the Company at the recent Carriage Driving Awards’ Dinner and is seen here tooling the family’s Gelderlander team put to a private drag built by Fenix Carriages.

Half way through the drive the 10 coaches stopped at Worcester Lodge for refreshments. Worcester Avenue is a three mile long, wide, central pathway, which runs through the deer park from Badminton House to Worcester Lodge. The two imposing buildings are also linked by the architect William Kent, who extended the main house in the Palladian style in the 18th century and designed the grade I listed Worcester Lodge in 1746.

There was time to wander between the coaches and take a closer look at vehicles and horses. The variety of horses was impressive, with five breeds on show: Lippizaners from Hungary, PREs from Spain, Irish cobs and three homebred British Hackneys. The Dutch domination of harness horse breeding was of course still evident, with four smart Dutch teams on show. A particular highlight was the attendance of one of the Club’s most senior members; the late Queen’s retired head coachman, Colin Henderson; a Coaching Club member for more than 40 years, who no doubt enjoyed casting his experienced eye over the proceedings.

Although members are expected to own their own coach and horses, there is no stipulation that the coach has to be an original example. Six original and four contemporary coaches took part; three made by Mendyka of Poland and one by Mark Broadbent’s, Fenix Carriages. Given that both of these makers manufacture much smaller numbers than their historic counterparts, it would be remiss not to point out that they are thoroughly well made and true to type. Although serving the needs of what is very much a highly specialised and niche market, it is good to be reminded that the trades and craftsmanship which led to the foundation of our Livery Company are still being practised nearly 350 years after it was established.

It is interesting to compare one of the original coaches with its modern-day counterpart. The private drag driven by Mark at the Badminton meet was built by May & Jacobs, a Guildford coach builder, established in 1800. Mark restored this fine example of a gentleman’s private coach for Michael and Amanda Horley, during which, his research revealed that it had been built in 1876 for the Fuller family of Neston Park.

Bringing his knowledge and craftsmanship to bear, Mark also built this contemporary example for a private enthusiast. It is now owned and driven by our new Liveryman, Daniel Williams and clearly shows that we still possess the requisite skills and knowledge to build a perfect example of a private drag. Mark has the further distinction of being an excellent coachman, making him one of only a tiny handful of experts worldwide, capable of building or restoring a coach and then driving it with his own horses.

For one summer afternoon, Badminton’s lanes and tracks were graced once more by the sight of these English sporting turn-outs and the mellow sound of the coach horn. One can only wonder if Charles Henry Somerset ever imagined that the club of which he was president would still be flourishing more than 150 years after it was established. He would certainly have approved of the 10 smart coaches and teams, which, by kind invitation of the 12th Duke of Beaufort, once more trotted along the estate’s leafy lanes. A thoroughly memorable day’s coaching was enjoyed by all those lucky enough to attend.

Pictures courtesy of Chris Bridges, the Coaching Club’s Chief Steward, and Liveryman Mark Jurd.