Lyndhurst Bowling Club is a long-established club based in the beautiful New Forest, with teams playing in both the New Forest Men’s and Ladies’ leagues as well as Club tournaments for singles and pairs (and the Bournemouth and District Bowling Association Saturday morning league). Our wide-ranging membership numbers around 120 members, comprising both active bowlers and social members who enjoy this lovely green with its modest but adequate facilities.
The club has a number of mixed friendly matches – a very good way to improve your game while socialising and making new friends. Social roll-ups are held at 2pm every Monday afternoon and 10.15am every Friday morning, with Club Members Night at 6pm every Wednesday – fun bowling usually followed by food and drink. As well as bowling, the Club holds many social functions throughout the year including Quiz Nights, Skittles meals out and BBQs. Click here for the full list of this season’s events.
The club is situated right in the heart of the village of Lyndhurst but is tucked away from its busy roads, providing a pleasant “haven” for bowling and relaxing. We have adequate parking adjacent to our Green and Clubhouse.
We welcome new members at all levels from novice to experienced – click here to contact us and find out more!
Click HERE to view our Safeguarding Statement
A Brief History
In 1920, Dr Alfred Moore retired to the village of Lyndhurst. He was a bachelor and enjoyed a game of tennis at the local club which, at the time, was based in Pinkney Lane.
Eight years later, Dr Moore (through a local friend, James Hughes) became involved in starting a new tennis club on land off Sandy Lane, next door to where the Club is currently based. This land had been made available by the nearby Cedar Mount Estate, later to become a small residential development. His plans for the new Tennis Club included a “Social Clubhouse, where the hall could be used for meetings, dances, billiards and changing rooms”.
Following the success of the Tennis and Social Club, Dr Moore began to respond to requests from local people for a bowling green. James Hughes made a small piece of land available, next to the Tennis Club and at the rear of two properties he owned, where a green was constructed and a club founded, all for a nominal rent. And on the 1st May 1929 Dr Moore rolled the first wood down the green. Due to the size of the plot and adjacent properties, it was sufficient only to allow play up and down (East to West) and not across the green, which is still the case today.
In the 1960’s the three organisations situated on the site, the Tennis Club, the “Social Hall” and the Bowling Club became their own individual clubs. By the late 1970’s Lyndhurst Bowling Club had 30+ members but few real facilities within a small, basic clubhouse, boasting just one plug point, a kettle and store shed. But during the 1980’s, membership improved, and the increased income funded improved reception facilities at the green as well as new windows… albeit windows salvaged from a now demolished nearby hotel! In the early 2000’s the existing changing rooms for ladies and gents were added to meet the current league rules.
Continuing on from the early 2000’s the Bowling Club has grown in strength, regularly recruiting new members. The Club has also maintained to a very good standard all its facilities. Some of these include erecting stainless steel safety railings around the green, extending the side grass area to allow for more outdoor socialising space and adding new seating benches, signage and storage areas. A brand new equipment shed has been erected giving excellent, larger storage facilities. Refurbishment of the Ladies and Gents toilets and changing rooms and new additional facilities in the Pavilion/Clubhouse for member’s benefit and enjoyment! The actual “Green” (the very important club asset) has been kept up to a high standard. The side bank of the green and ditches has stainless steel protective panels, improvements to the club watering system and a thorough conscientious “Green Team” looking after the Green through the year.
Lyndhurst Bowling Club has a vibrant social side to the Club with Social Membership for those who do not bowl as well as bowlers, friends and guests to enjoy. Regular events and evenings are held through the winter months as well as during the bowling season. Click here to see Events.
Moving with the times of course the Club has an extremely high standard “Club Website” (you are currently accessing) the envy of many other bowling clubs. The website provides a large amount of detailed information and backing this site up are members, Mobile Phone apps and members matches booking systems: All very “Social Media” and so important in these technically modern times!
In 2023 the Club also entered a new Bowling Association, the Bournemouth and District Bowling Association. This was the first time the Club had ventured outside of the New Forest leagues. This move was well supported by members and looks set to continue adding more opportunities for players, both Ladies and Gents.
Lyndhurst Bowling Club is affiliated to our two neighbouring Clubs (Tennis and Drama) on the site known as “The Lyndhurst Sports and Social Club” which is legally protected with appointed Club Trustees! Our Club is affiliated to the overall Sports governing body “Bowls England” who provide professional advice, support and help on a variety of important issues within our modern game of “Bowling”.
LYNDHURST BOWLING CLUB 