Hertford Bowls Club was very proud when celebrating its centenary in 2008.  Since then it has gone from strength to strength, adding new members each year and entering a new mixed league from 2016 and increasing the participation in outside competitions each year.

Looking back to our beginning in 1908, it is likely that the club was more of a Gentleman’s Club, making use of a small green situated in Brewhouse Lane, perhaps even in a local Doctors garden!  This has all long since gone and we have been based in Wallfields, our present location, since 1953.

Today, Hertford Bowls Club is a mixed club and has been for many years with participation by all members in its daily running and management.

We published a book at the time of our centenary which provides a fascinating insight into our history and the changing shape of the game during the past 100 years.  At the present time a few copies of the book are still available (see details to the right of this page).

When writing the history we were fortunate to locate an earlier member, Harold Howard, who was then age 93, but still in good health.  He lived on to see his 100 birthday and we were lucky to be able to ‘tap into his memory’ when researching the book.  He very kindly donated a silver cup he had been given by the club after winning the Victory Competition for the third time.

 Harold, when 93, can be seen pictured with his County badge and the Victory Cup. 

Hertford Bowls Club was given permission in the mid-fifties to use the crest of Hertford Town Council as a badge on all shirts and jackets.  This continues today, with the Town motto, Pride in our past, faith in our future. Nothing could be more appropriate for this bowls club!

The green at Wallfields has been shared with Hertford Castle Bowls Club for many years, with the overall management of the green and its facilities being administered by Wallfields Bowls Ltd.  Both clubs participate in the management of this limited Company.

We encourage members of all ages, with or without past experience.  In recent years a member of our club, Jim Smith, has established a weekly opportunity for local Carers to enjoy the game of bowls during the summer and play Boccia in the winter months; this has been a great success.

It would seem there is always something new to report and very recently (January 2017) we received a communication via our website with a photo dating back to 1920 and taken at the old green in Brewhouse Lane; see picture below.

This picture, which we guess is reproduced from the Mercury, was sent to HBC by Mr Malcolm Turner.  What makes this picture fascinating, is that it is the only picture we know of, which was taken at the old green in Brewhouse Lane.  Even more extraordinary is that some of those in the photograph are remembered by our present members!    

Whilst our history is very important, it is the future that we are most concerned with.   We still enjoy the camaraderie of a small club, with a membership below 50 in most years.  We offer regular weekend friendly games and midweek competitive matches for both women and men.  We enter local leagues to provide some competitive matches throughout the season.  Members also participate in District, County and National competitions.

We encourage social membership which gives those less active the chance to enjoy the facilities of our club in the summer and also to participate in the many events during the winter months.  Our Annual Presentation Dinner and AGM are held in November each year.

The summer months, from late April through to early October, is of course the most enjoyable time to be playing bowls, but many of our members like to join nearby clubs in the winter months to try their hand at indoor bowling, which is quite a different game, but equally enjoyable.

Do please contact us if you are at all interested in joining this warm and friendly club.