Club History
Farnsfield Bowling Club was formed in 1960, following the earlier donation of a plot of land to the Parish Council for recreational purposes by local industrialist Sir Stuart Goodwin.
Grants were made to develop the site and establish a children’s playground, tennis courts and a bowling green. By 1960 facilities were completed and the first match was played against Southwell Town Bowls Club.
June 1960 - President Frank Reynolds sends down the opening bowl watched by
Sir Stuart Gordon, Club Captain Jack Grainger, officials of the club,
supporters and well wishers
The game rapidly became popular and 42 members were present at the 1st Annual General Meeting on 31 March 1961. In the beginning, the club shared a small wooden pavilion with the adjacent tennis club, but this in time became too small to meet the needs of both clubs. In 1981 Fred Westerman, a club stalwart, was instrumental in locating a redundant site office which he gifted to the club. With Parish Council approval and financial support it was transported to the club ground where members took on the task of cleaning, decorating, and installing toilet and kitchen facilities to make it into a fine clubhouse.
In 1985 the Parish Council agreed to release additional land to allow the extension of the bowling green to meet National Standards. With the help of many volunteers from the club, a grant from the District Council, and help from the young people of the Newark Community Programme, the project was completed by June 1987.
Since that time, the clubhouse has been extended twice to meet the needs of a growing club., firstly in 1987 and more recently in 2010, to coincide with the club’s Golden Anniversary. Finance was provided from club funds supported by generous grants from the Sir John Eastwood Trust and the John and Nellie Brown Trust, together with further help from the Parish and District Councils.
John Brown officially opens the new clubhouse extension 13th April 2010 watched by Bob Reeves
In 2024 the clubhouse was upgraded with new cladding, funded by grants from Farnsfield Parish Council and Farnsfield Trust.
In 2010 we also obtained two short mats from East Bridgford Bowls Club, enabling us to introduce short mat indoor bowling in winter.
In 1997 the club won the Bryan Lee Cup, thus qualifying for entry into the National Championships for the first time. The club also has had a number of County Champions, notably: