Registered as a Community Amateur Sports Club

Early Days

A club known as ‘The Wimborne Bowling Club’ was founded in 1908 using a green in the grounds of the Griffin Hotel, Station Road, Wimborne.

The opening of the first bowling green in Wimborne, by the late Sir John Hanham Bart, at the Griffin Hotel, June 25th 1908, the club having been founded by the late Mr. C. H. Gush (photo above).

The club rules stipulated that the annual subscription should be set at seven shillings and sixpence payable in advance and, interestingly, that the rules of play should be those published by the Scottish Bowling Association. The reason for this was that the Scottish Bowling Association, founded in 1892, was the first National Association formed in the U.K. and the first country to formulate a code of rules governing the game of Outdoor Lawn Bowls. When the International Bowling Board was formed in 1905 the Scottish Bowling Association code formed the basis of the Board’s rules for the game of bowls.

The present club was officially founded in 1913 following a decision by Wimborne Urban District Council to construct a bowling green on the Recreation Ground which the Reverend Canon Fletcher had presented to the town. The Council and public subscription had raised £172 to pay for the green together with bowls and shoes for public use. A club member, Mr L. Stevenson, directed the laying of the green using turf from Badbury. At the opening ceremony on 25th June 1913 a local benefactor, Mrs Fletcher, bowled the first wood. There then followed the first competitive match between the club and a council team, the Wimborne Town Council Chairman, Councillor G. Wilson, bowling the first wood. Happily we can record that this first match was won by the club!

At the club’s expense a small pavilion was built in 1925, extended in 1935 and again in 1961/2 with the aid of a grant from Wimborne UDC.

General History

It is quite remarkable to think that bowling in Wimborne has been continuous for the last 100 years, especially when you consider that there have been two world wars in that time. There was a brief reference to hostilities in 1942 when members were reminded about recent ‘hit and run’ bombings in the area and were advised to be alert whilst on the green for their own protection. Whether there was any increase in ‘firing’ is not recorded, nor if steel helmets became optional for team play.

The Bournemouth & District league programme was abandoned during the Second World War but recommenced in 1946 with the same format that had been in use up to 1939. At that time the club was still all male with a total membership of 50 and an annual subscription of £1. In those early days coaches were hired for away matches until gradually being superseded by private cars.

Wimborne has always been fortunate in its green keeping, courtesy of the local council. In the old days the normal way of treating the green was by the application of farmyard manure but in 1956 fertiliser was used for the first time. In 1960 a motor mower was purchased in order to alleviate the workload of the greenkeeper. In the early seventies, when Wimborne entered a second team in the B & D league, there were occasions when it was necessary to call on the greenkeeper to make up the numbers when a team was short. Apparently he acquitted himself very well.

The Wimborne Ladies Bowling Club was founded in 1953 and the photograph above shows their very first roll-up. Note the rather fetching berets!

The present clubhouse was completed and leased to the club in April 1989.

Wimborne Bowls Club now has a membership of approximately 65 men and 26 ladies and through the years has enjoyed varying success in the Bournemouth & District League, Dorset League and North Dorset League, as well as providing Presidents of all three leagues. Full details can be seen in our ‘Club Honours’ section.