Closure of Chilton Bowls Club

Chilton Bowls Club closure

Chilton bowls club originally opened in 1920, and was said, at the time, to be one of the best in the county. Not only because of the quality of the bowling green surface but also because of the impressive club that was attached (later to become The Poacher’s Pocket). However, for some reason, after the war, interest in bowls decreased, the bowling stopped, and the green was left to deteriorate.

It wasn’t until the early 1980s that Ted Walker, after his retirement, worked on restoring the green and, by the end of the decade, had brought it back to playing condition. The Chilton Club had continued to thrive during this time, albeit no longer bowling and several former members showed an interest in playing bowls again, and that was the start of the present-day club. The founder members included Norma and John Rolfe, Terry and Wyn Sparks, Ted Walker, and Les Willey, as well as several people from surrounding villages who were all members of the Chilton Club.

It proved to be very successful, and in the early 1990s, the bowling club decamped to the bottom lawn (which had been the tennis court) and continued to play whilst the bowling green was ripped up, automatic watering installed and a new bowling green laid with the help of money raised through fundraising events and a lot of hard work.

The green has been well used, with the club running on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the summer and had over thirty active players. Over a period of many years there has been singles and pairs knockout tournaments throughout the season. The green has always been well kept and maintenance is key to keeping the green in tip-top condition. Many members volunteered their time to help keep up the maintenance, mowing, treating the grass and generally keeping it in good condition.

Sadly due to circumstances beyond our control the club will be shutting down at the end of this season.

We would like to thank all those past and present who have played a part in keeping the club going, with many hours of voluntary commitment from many people, too many to mention, but we need to particularly mention Wynn and Terry Sparks who made a lifelong commitment to the club, with Wynn managing it for many many years.

Some members will be continuing to play indoors at Tiddington Village Hall on Wednesday evenings and others are looking for an alternative venue where we can continue to enjoy the sport together.

We will be having a farewell get together for past and present members. If you like to be involved in this please email me at .