A brief history of
Old Shrewsbury Bowling Club

Old Shrewsbury Bowling Club was built in 1908 to plans drawn up by Shrewsbury architects Dickens-Lewis and Haymes. 

The original plan for a grand, double fronted pavilion had to be amended, resulting in one of the proposed wings being removed. Had this wing been built, it would have housed a Committee Room, a landing and the Ladies Cloakroom.

The amended plans were approved on March the 25th 1908 and the ground floor of the building was comprised of a Gents’ cloakroom, a single w.c., for the ladies, a bowls store, a cellar, a beer cellar, a coal store and a shed for the roller and tools. The first floor was supported on iron columns and housed the Clubroom, bar, kitchen and the refreshment room which opened out onto a balcony.

The pavilion was constructed by Mr. James Hayes not long after and was ready for use on the 14th of May when it was opened by the then Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury (and President of the Bowling Club), Sir Clement Lloyd Hill.

An extension proposed in early 1920, would have completed the original building plan by adding the second wing to house the Committee Room - a space for three billiards tables was included instead of the original Ladies Cloakroom. For whatever reason, the application was refused.

In May 1939, the Chairman of the Directors, John Bowers, was asked to approach the Shrewsbury Horticultural Society to seek approval of more basic alterations to the clubhouse and, if approval was given, to then ask for a loan of £100. The approval and the loan were granted (repayable with interest) and the work carried out by Mr. E. Roberts for the sum of £378.

The pavilion survived until 1963 when it was completely destroyed by a fire which spread from an unattended fireplace in the Clubroom. It was replaced in 1964 with the building you see now.