Harpenden Bowling Club

Spenser Road, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 5NN Tel: 01582 766155

About Harpenden Bowling Club

Harpenden Bowling Club was founded in 1908 by eight local businessmen and celebrated it’s Centenary in style in 2008. Following these special celebrations the Club was very lucky and enjoyed return mixed matches with both the Chelsea Pensioners and Royal Household last year.    

Over the years our membership has fluctuated but during the last few years it has remained steady at around the 150 mark, one of the largest Club memberships in Hertfordshire. Our Club fixture list caters for bowlers of all standards, from friendly and sociable roll-ups to District, County, London & Southern Counties and National competitions. In recent years our Club has played a prominent role in these competitions as the standard of bowling has improved. There are several qualified Coaches at our Club to help newcomers learn to play bowls and provide remedial / improvement sessions for any player.

In 2001 the homely collection of wooden buildings which served as clubhouse, changing rooms and stores were replaced by a single fully furnished brick building. This was achieved with the help of a substantial lottery grant, mortgage and the generosity of members, the result has paid handsome dividends to our Club. With a green of outstanding quality the new facilities have made it possible for our Club to host some important matches including County and Eastern Counties matches as well as John’s Trophy matches.

In the Autumn of 2003 and the Spring of 2004 the Club replaced the old wooden ditch boards which were showing signs of wear. This was a major undertaking and the work was completed entirely by Club members. We now have pre-cast concrete units lined with astro-turf. In addition the north and south sides of the green were paved and steps added to the south embankment for easier access.

Our Club has achieved unparalleled success in recent years with many first time successes. For the men, in both 2002 and 2003, they won the St Albans & District Jones Cup, in 2004 they won the Herts County Fours Championship and were runners-up in the Eastern Counties Fours Championship. In 2005 they were runners-up in both the Herts County Fours and St Albans & District Fours.  As a result, in both 2004 & 2005, our Fours represented the Club at the EBA National Championships at Worthing, the last time our Club had been represented at Worthing was in 1987.

In 2007 the Club, for the first time for many years, was represented at the Ladies’ National Championships at Leamington in the 2 wood singles and was again represented at Worthing, this time in the National Under 30 men’s singles. In 2008 this was combination was repeated with a different lady at Leamington but this time with two Under 30 representatives at Worthing!  More first’s followed, in 2008 a rink of four men from the club represented the County in an Eastern Counties league match and last year Harpenden players were selected for the Middleton Cup and John's Trophy County Teams.  In 2009 we also had the youngest player in Hertfordshire to be awarded his County badge, the Ladies’ Unbadged Single’s Champion, the St Albans & District Singles Champion, the St Albans & District Ladies' Officer's Champion and added to our list of successes with the Bob Vise, the St Albans & District Gorhambury (men’s four, for a second year in succession), the St Albans & District Stockman Winsor (mixed four) and the Martin Daly Triples' Gala Trophies.

Our Club also has amongst its members – the men’s 2003 St Albans & District Champion of Champions – the men’s 2004/2005/2006/2008/2009 St Albans & District Champions – the men’s 2004 County Unbadged Singles Runner-up – the men’s U' 30's 2006/2008/2009 Champions (and 2009 Runner up!) – the Ladies’ 2002 St Albans & District Triples Champions – the Ladies’ 2003/2009 County Unbadged Singles Champions and 2004 Runner-up – the Ladies’ 2005 St Albans & District Champion of Champions

In 2005, 2007, 2008 & 2009 the Club won the ‘Harpenden in Bloom’ leisure facility award for its magnificent outdoor floral displays and, in 2005, was able to attract its first sponsor the Harpenden Building Society.