Welcome to Shiplake Village Bowling Club

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We are a mixed club with a history of success at both local and county levels, and new players are always welcome to help us continue this into the future.  Players of all levels from complete beginners to old hands are welcome.  If you are interested in joining our friendly country bowls club please contact Alan (07947 664922), Wendy (07826 685931) or Barrie (07891 778079) to arrange a time or use our Contact email;  we can offer coaching to get you started.  Why not give it a try?  The outdoor season starts in mid-April and runs until mid-September.  You can be sure of a warm welcome.  Come and give it a go!  There is also the opportunity to play indoors during the off-season, in Reading.

Below are a selection of photos from our Open Days held earlier in the season.

                         Come along to Shiplake Bowling,
                         Time to get the season rolling.
                         Whether you be mums and dads
                         Grannies, grandpas, lasses, lads,
                         It’s a sport that’s fun for all,
                         So come along and have a ball.               Alan Gough

We are located in Shiplake village, midway between Reading and Henley-on-Thames on the A4155 and have an excellent Clubhouse and Green off Memorial Avenue, behind the Memorial Hall and Tennis Club.  The clubhouse has a well equipped kitchen, which can cater for post-match meals and social occasions and we have a licensed bar with a varied selection of beers, wines and spirits, together with an excellent choice of non-alcoholic refreshment, all of which are, of course, at advantageous club prices.  The Clubhouse and adjacent patio have excellent views of the green and the play, as do all the surrounds.  The bar is open on Friday Club Nights, for all home matches and many other evenings in the season.  Substantial free parking is available at the Memorial Hall.

Bowling at Shiplake: Bowls is played in a number of formats with one, two, three or four players per side on each rink.  Playing bowls at Shiplake takes many forms and caters for a wide variety of player.

Roll ups - practice sessions - are arranged between small groups of members on an ad hoc basis.  You can even come and practice on your own!  A (slightly) more organised session is held on Monday afternoons when we get the chance to play in most of the positions in a team, and as its name, Points, suggests can lead to prizes at the end of the season.  There are a variety of competitions for our members in all types of the game leading to our Finals days in early September.

The Club plays 2 or 3 matches a week in the season both home and away.  The great majority of these games are mixed which we are sure contributes to the friendliness of our Club.  Many of the matches are friendlies but we also play in two leagues throughout the season - the Plomer Cup (PC) and Oddfellows Triples League (OTL).

Members also play in national and county competitions and several have been picked to play for the county, Oxfordshire.

The Green: The green is regarded as one of the best playing surfaces in the county though, like many greens, it has suffered over the past 12 months with the very hot summer and very wet winter.  Weather permitting, it should improve over the summer.  It is cared for by our greenkeeper and his team of volunteers, with support, help and advice from professional greenkeepers. The green's surrounds of grass and herbaceous borders are well tended by a small dedicated team of enthusiasts.

We are affiliated to both Bowls Oxfordshire and Bowls England.

Location of Green and Clubhouse

Upon arrival at the location marked on the map below, park in the Memorial Hall car park and walk south along the edge of the recreation ground.  You will find us on your left, immediately after the tennis courts.

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