Bowling is a sport for all ages and abilities – and it’s a game that has attracted countless members to the Lewes Bowls Club for almost 100 years.
Over the decades the club has steadily evolved into a magnet for those who want to play this inclusive game which as well as being thoroughly enjoyable can also be competitive, and they have notched up a number of honours in county competitions.
It all began way back in 1922 when on October 12, a group of local men got together and decided to form the club. Play first took place on a three-rink green owned by Lewes Town Council, on an area now known as the Priory Grounds. The council also provided a pavilion.
The club became increasingly popular and by 1926 it had progressed to a new full six rink green and, a little later, a new pavilion which then had to be extended in 1933 to meet increased demand for play.
The sport also caught on with the women of Lewes and in early 1960, Lewes and District Ladies Club was established, sharing facilities with the men. This meant an extension to the pavilion was needed to accommodate the female players and a further addition was made in 1984, giving much improved kitchen facilities.
The bowling green was also steadily improved as the years went by and an important upgrade was the installation of an automatic watering system in late 1989, an essential requirement to maintain a good quality green.
Disaster struck in December 1997 when, while the men’s club were holding their AGM elsewhere in town, vandals entered the site and set fire to the pavilion, virtually destroying the entire building. Undeterred by this, members started a big fundraising effort and with great support from Lewes District Council, plans for a new pavilion were produced.
It was thanks to the efforts of members and the council that the new pavilion was opened in time for the 1999 season and although the fire was a huge loss to the club at the time, it has benefited since by the much-improved facilities the new pavilion now offers.
One result following the reopening was the decision to bring together the ladies’ and men’s sections to create a fully mixed club, as it still is.
A good green requires a high level of maintenance, but constant use causes areas to ‘consolidate’, resulting in poor drainage, which has to be tackled to achieve high quality. The green has been re-laid twice during its life, once in 1951 and more recently in 2005 to overcome this problem.
Thanks to its excellent green, good facilities and an enthusiastic band of members, the club has played its part over the years in county competitions, with success in the Men’s Double Fours in 1942, 1948 and 1949. These were followed by the Men’s Four in 1972, the Ladies Pairs in 1977 and the Men’s Under-25s in 1989. It’s hoped that some of the newer members will be able to add to these honours in the future.
For many years Lewes Bowling Club has been the venue for the Sussex County Women’s Bowling Association Competition finals and it has most recently hosted county matches and County Club quarter and semi-finals. It also attracts each year a number of tourist sides visiting Sussex to play bowls.
Looking to the future, the club will be celebrating its centenary in 2022 and is already planning a number of special events to mark the occasion. The Chelsea Pensioners will be paying a visit with a special bowls match and the English Bowls Association President’s team have been invited to play a match as part of the celebrations.
There will be a home and away match venue with Windsor and Eton Bowling Club which will also be celebrating its centenary – a special centenary cup will be played for to mark the occasion.
The club always welcomes new members to enjoy playing a sport which can be participated in by any age group and committee members say there is not much that can beat playing the game on a sunny afternoon amongst good company and enjoying a cup of tea and chat afterwards.
During the winter season the pavilion hosts two short mat lanes, so bowling can continue indoors, and several social events are organised throughout the year. The club’s future is bright and they’d like to see more people come along to join in all the activities.