A Century of Bowling - Royal County of Berkshire Bowling Association

Bracknell Bowling & Social Club
• Founded 1904
• Church Road, Bracknell
• Founder Member
Club was formed in 1904 and its first bowling green was located in the Royal
Forest Hotel meadow on a 7-year lease. Access to the green was through the
hotel and they supplied all refreshments.
In 1906 we became members of the Reading & District Bowling Assn. and subsequently
became a Founder Member of Berks. B.A.
By 1911 it was necessary to move to a new green at Stanley Road where the land was
purchased for £330 and a limited company was formed to own the lease, with the freehold
being purchased in 1936 for £675.
By 1932 the ladies were at last accepted as members of the Club, having been previously
rejected in 1912 and 1925. In 1935 the adjacent Social Club allowed their premises to
become a regular venue for meetings.
For many years the address of the green was known as Stanley Road, but in 1959 an audit of
the deeds showed the green to be in Rochdale Road! 1963 was the year when the Bracknell
Development Corporation made a compulsory purchase order of the Club’s premises for
which £8,820 was eventually paid two years later. By 1968 the new green and facilities were
in use, and in 1970 the Bracknell Social Club was amalgamated with the bowls Club and the
new name of the Bracknell Bowling and Social Club came into being. By this time the Club
was producing a high standard of bowlers at all levels in both the ladies and gent’s sections
1978 gave Bracknell its first Bannerette win over the County with more success in Nationals
and players in the winning Middleton Cup Squad of 1982.
By 1999 floodlighting had been installed and by the time of it’s Centenary, the clubhouse
was now a two-storey building with excellent facilities.
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