Cheltenham Archers have got a very long history. So long, in fact, that when they were formed Queen Victoria was less than a third of the way through her near 64-year reign, a reign which began in 1837.

Cheltenham Archers were actually formed 20 years after she came to the throne so they’ve been going for some 165 years and the good news is that they are still going very strong today.

These days they can be found at Oakleaf field – they’ve been there since 2006 – on land which is owned by Cheltenham Racecourse.

They’ve actually been at the racecourse since 1984 – they were based in a field next to Riding for the Disabled before moving to their current home – so it’s fair to say that they are very happy there.

“It’s a wonderful venue,” said Andy Griffin, one of 12 Level 1 and Level 2 coaches at the club. “Cheltenham Archers are very appreciative of the support given by the racecourse management.

“The club are extremely proud of their shooting facilities, which are among the best in the South West and our flexible shooting times enable members to shoot when it is convenient for them.

“We’re a thriving, friendly club. We’ve got more than 100 members with 17 of them juniors.

“We’re a not-for-profit club. We offer free coaching support for those wishing to improve and the main thing for us is enjoyment for all our members.”

And while that is obviously true, it’s fair to say they’ve got some pretty good archers too.

“Carlos Amata is junior under-12 national champion,” said Griffin, who is lead coach for the juniors at the club.

“We’ve got a long history and, going all the way back to when we were first formed, Horace Ford was a national champion.

“These days we’ve got master bowmen as well as Archery GB squad members.”

But the great thing about Cheltenham Archers is that they cater for all people – men, women, juniors and people with disabilities – and a beginners’ course that is being run in April/May has all 18 places taken up.

“We run three courses,” continued Griffin. “The others are in June/July – some of the places have already been reserved for that course – and in September.

“We ensure a quality course by following a set schedule for each of the four sessions. We limit numbers, allocating one coach to two students.

“One of our coaches is a former Archery GB junior team coach.”

So what makes a good archer?

“It’s very similar to golf in that you need good hand/eye coordination,” explained Griffin.

“A great archer has a certain amount of natural ability but technique is the overriding thing.”

And while having that bit of extra power helps, it’s a thinking person’s sport as well.

“Just like in golf you have to read the conditions,” added Griffin. “If the wind is blowing you can’t always aim for the target.

“You have to read the flag on top of the target; sometimes it’s still, sometimes there are gusts of wind, you have to make a judgement.”

Cheltenham Archers have some 15 targets set up in Oakleaf field and archers can shoot on the metric range or the imperial range.

The metric range is anything from 30 metres to 90 metres while the imperial range covers a distance of 20 yards to 100 yards.

“Our youngest member is 10 and our oldest is over 80,” said Griffin. “The stronger you are the further the arrow goes but the pleasure is in just doing it.

“You can shoot whatever distance you want and however many arrows you want.”

Griffin, who lives in Gotherington, has been a member of the club since 2010 and, as you’d imagine, he’s a big fan of all things archery.

“It’s a very good sport,” he said, “it’s calming, very peaceful, on a perfect day it’s very zen-like.

“While you’re shooting, you forget about all your woes, it’s very therapeutic.”

No wonder the beginners’ courses are always so popular!

Griffin is taking the next one in April/May – it’s spread over four weeks and consists of four three-hour sessions – and while the club want as many people to enjoy the sport as possible, those that do take part must obey certain rules.

“We don’t turn people away but the number one thing about archery is about being safe,” Griffin said. “Archery is potentially a lethal sport, the rules are there for a reason. We have zero tolerance but it is very safe because everyone obeys the rules.”

Those rules are put in place by Archery GB, which is based in Lilleshall, and the place which is home to the national championships, masters tournaments and inter-counties tournaments.

Cheltenham Archers’ summer season, meanwhile, gets under way in April and runs until the end of September.

The club hosts a good number of tournaments – they have a couple of big ones in June and July – and they also travel to compete.

The majority of the tournaments are individual events but there are also team prizes and while everyone likes to win, that is most certainly not the be-all and end-all for Cheltenham Archers.

As Griffin says: “The main thing is all about enjoyment.”