Marbles has been played in and around Tinsley Green for many hundreds of years. The tradition is said to date back to the time of Good Queen Bess when two men from Surrey and Sussex competed for the hand of a maiden from Tinsley, which is just on the border of the two counties. After being judged equal in all the major sports of the time such as archery and wrestling, one of them came up with the game of marbles and the tradition has continued ever since.
The World Marble Championships date back to the 1930s. Some 20 teams from around the world take part including Canada, the USA and Germany and the action is watched by hundreds of spectators.
The game is played in a six foot diameter ring which is dusted with fine sand and set up in the Greyhound Pub car park. Some 49 marbles are then placed in the ring. There are six players in a team and each member has four marbles. The winner is the first team to knock 25 marbles out of the ring.

From the M23: Off the A23.

From Gatwick or Three Bridges: A taxi service available.