A bowling club which closed after more than three-quarters of a century at the heart of village life has risen from the ashes.
The crown bowlers of Brewood are once again pacing the green – albeit the local cricket pitch – and now they have won a £10,000 grant to create their own lawned base.
The news comes eight years after members played their last ball at their former home at the Three Stirrups pub in Engleton Lane.
The club was forced to disband when the green was sold by the brewery for housing at the end of the 1990s and players were unable to find another base.
Secretary Paul Mullard said today: “It was a shame because crown bowling had a long tradition in the village. The club had previously been going for 76 years.
“People were pretty upset at the time and there have been various attempts in the intervening years to revive the club but none of them came to fruition.”
However a group of bowling enthusiasts got together and applied for lottery funding and at the same time, sought planning permission to build a new green at Engleton Lane playing fields. Players are now looking forward to the future after learning they have been successful on both fronts.
In the meantime members have been brushing up on their skills at their temporary base at Brewood Cricket Club in Four Ashes Road.
They estimate their new facility will cost around £125,000 and have set up a “very active” fundraising committee to help levy the rest of the money.
The club is hoping to shed the game’s image of a sport played almost exclusively by the elderly. It offers coaching sessions for beginners at their regular Friday night club sessions, held between 6pm and 10pm. Members are also going into schools in a bid to sign up young members.
Mr Mullard said: “Everyone’s delighted that we managed to crack it this time. At last, Brewood crown bowling is back.”
Unlike other forms of bowls, crown green bowling uses the entire lawn.
A player can send the jack anywhere on the green in this game and the green itself is more akin to a golf green, where it rises and falls instead of being completely flat.
The game has become increasingly popular and has existed since at least the 13th century.
Anyone interested in learning to bowl or joining the club can contact him on 01902 851134.
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