“Starting a ‘proper bowls club in the heart of crown green was getting close to an impossible challenge but when I first saw the croquet lawn at Lilleshall and its magnificent surroundings I did resolve to try hard to beat the impossible.”
Cyril Davies, Founder
Membership
The club has around 35 members who enjoy social and competitive bowling. Club night on Wednesday (6:30 pm) and Club afternoon on Thursday (2:30 pm) offer the chance of social bowling.
Programme
The Club arranges a varied programme each year including about 20 friendly matches against other clubs. Some of the matches are our “home derbies” against Telford and St Michael’s (Shrewsbury) while others are further afield at, for instance, Tamworth, Birmingham and Kidderminster.
The club also has its own internal competitions and for several of these partners or teams are drawn on the day. The exception to this is the Jack Borrett Rose bowl. This trophy was presented to the club by Beryl Borret in memory of her late husband. This competition is a mixed triple format and the profits from the day’s bowling are donated to the Severn Hospice.
Shropshire Bowling Clubs Association
The three Shropshire clubs have formed the Shropshire Bowling Clubs Association which arranges inter club matches and leagues and “county” singles and pairs competitions and a Tuesday triples league.
Worcestershire Bowling Association
The Lilleshall club is affiliated to the Worcestershire Bowling Association. This means that the club and its members as individuals can enter all the Worcestershire county competitions.
2014 was a particularly successful year. Sheila Simcoe, our Ladies captain, won the county Ladies Singles competition and a team of eight ladies was runner up in the Double Rinks competition.
Contacting the Club
Captain
Rod Payne
Emailrodneypayne11@yahoo.com
Tel 01952 590963
Secretary
Liz Caird
Email lizcaird@blueyonder.co.uk
Tel 01952814671
Website
www.lilleshallbowls.org.uk
Finding Our Green
Lilleshall Hall is set in hundreds of acres of park and woodland. It is well signposted from main roads as "National Sports and Conference Centre", but the impressive gates and two mile (yes - two mile) entrance road can lead the unwary to think they have strayed onto private property.
The links and directions should get you to us in time for the match! In general, follow the white or brown signs for "National Sports and Conference Centre". The main gates are set slightly back from the road on the inside of a bend (a right-hand bend if you are travelling from Newport) just opposite a retirement home. Turn in through the gates and proceed along the approach road for about 2 miles. Note the speed limit and speed humps.
Do STOP where indicated at the small road crossing as traffic can and does fly down the road and your visibility is restricted. As you approach the buildings follow the road round to the left and just past the cottage turn left over the cattle grid into the car park.
Walk out from the car park (did you bring a trolley for your bowls bag?), cross the road and walk towards the archway guarded by lions. Take the track to the left just before the lions and follow it down between the box hedges. The club house is part way down the path on the right-hand side.
Use Sat Nav code TF10 9LQ, which will deliver you to the estate gates.
Lilleshall Hall Bowls Club
Founded 1983
The club is situated within the grounds of the National Sports Centre, the former home of the Dukes of Sutherland. Both house and grounds are Grade II listed.