Special offers
- while stocks last!
Signed copies of Charles Buchan's Manchester United Gift Book and Charles Buchan's Arsenal Gift Book: just £11.99 each, post-free (RRP £14.99). Hurry while stocks last!
A Load of Old Balls (signed), by Simon Inglis: just £3.99 (RRP: £7.99).
Played in Britain
Charting the heritage of a nation at play
We publish books about Britain's sporting heritage. If you like an old scoreboard, or a mildewed pavilion; if you would like to know where to find the world's oldest bowling green, or the best Art Deco grandstand in London; if you're fed up with homogenised, commercialised sport, and long to dive into a Victorian swimming pool with gorgeous ceramic tiling; if you think potting balls all afternoon in a dimly-lit billiard hall is definitely not time mis-spent; if you have ever wondered why tennis and suburbia go together so well, then Played in Britain is for you...
• Find out more about Played in Britain, our books and our authors
Played in Britain news feed: reporting on Britain's sporting heritage
Played in Britain honoured at Parliamentary reception
May 10 2008
Played in Britain's contribution to sporting heritage was yesterday marked by a House of Commons reception, hosted by English Heritage's Chief Executive Simon Thurley (left) and sponsored by Telford MP David Wright. A large gathering of Members of both Houses, together with English Heritage representatives, sponsors and invited guests also heard details of two new research projects forming part of English Heritage's contribution to the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
Read the full Played in Britain honoured story and view the photo gallery here.
Buchan a winner with London audience
April 23 2008
Played in Britain's celebration of Charlie Buchan, Gunner, Grenadier and Gentleman, proves a great hit with London football fans and with the Willow Foundation charity.
UNESCO World Heritage status bid for Newmarket
April 15 2008
As the Department for Culture, Media and Sport prepares to invite bids from British sites to attain UNESCO World Heritage status, sport heritage consultant Jason Wood is backing Newmarket, a unique sportscape that has been turning out winners for nearly 400 years. To date, only one other sports related site, Olympia, is on the UNESCO list.
Residents rally for Ripon Baths
April 7 2008
Campaigners are gearing up to save Ripon Baths from being sold by the local council and turned into flats.
Selected titles from Played in Britain
Engineering Archie
Archibald Leitch - football ground designer
By Simon Inglis
Played in Liverpool
Charting the heritage of a city at play
By Ray Physick
For me, this series of books is invaluable. Previous lack of attention by sports historians to the built environment and the way this reflected or impacted on sport is now being redressed. Long may this excellent work continue.
— Richard W Cox (University of Manchester) Sport in History
Absolutely superb publications, in both concept and execution.
Jed Smith, exhibition producer, National Sports Museum, Australia
Making a splash
Westbury Baths, Wiltshire opened in 1888 and is one of many fine historic swimming pools to be featured in Played in Britain's forthcoming study, Great Lengths, due out this autumn.
New from Played in Britain
Uppies and Downies
The extraordinary football games of Britain, by Hugh Hornby
Sporting Plaques
In the run up to the 2012 Olympics, Played in Britain will be working with English Heritage to identify individuals and locations worthy of a sports-related blue plaque in London. View our gallery of existing sporting plaques and find out how to put forward your own nominations.