Fives Wall

Dec 11th, 2018

Today, Fives is a ball game, played by two or four players, usually in a court enclosed on three or four sides, but an older version was played against an open stone wall. The origin of the word Fives is uncertain, but it may be derived from the ancient French game of Longue Paume or Jeu de Paume, in which five played on each side. It was also called hand tennis and possibly played as far back as the 16th century. A similar game called pelota is played in the Basque areas of Spain. Local folklore says that this Fives Wall at North Cheriton was used by captured French soldiers during the Napoleonic wars, who were billeted near by. In the past, Fives was often played between the buttresses of church walls, but in 1754 the Bishop of Bath and Wells banned Fives from being played against church walls in Somerset because of the damage caused to windows. As a result purpose-built Fives Walls were constructed, mainly in the grounds of public houses, and the number of Fives Walls found in Somerset suggests this could have been a popular competitive sport between villages.
Aug 6th, 2017