Club History
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MALDEN BOWLING CLUB
The early records of the club show that the game of bowls was played mainly on lawns adjoining hostelries and inns. The gentlemen of Malden indeed played on a lawn at the rear of the Royal Oak Hotel
A photograph depicting such a game at the Royal Oak, hangs today in our clubhouse.
Malden Bowling Club, was formed in 1904, due largely to the efforts of a gentleman called Douglas Irvine Watson, who had played on the lawn at The Royal Oak.
At that time, the best the club could do, was to rent a corner of the Burberry Sports ground in Woodside Road. This was probably part of the cricket outfield, or a disused tennis court with no banks or ditches.
Our first President was Paul Typke, a manufacturing chemist who had a factory in Mitcham and whose home was Lawn House in Sycamore Grove, the grounds of which backed onto the Burberry Sports Ground.
When World War One broke out in 1914, the sports ground was taken over by the Government for sheep grazing for the war effort. This meant that by the end if the war it was no longer fit for bowling.
This meant that the club members were forced to play at other clubs and played a lot at The Royal Oak.
Towards the end of the war however, a bowler called Arthur Woollacott, who was very keen to have a bowling green in New Malden, puchased the present site in Lime Grove and generously made the land available to the club, where it was established as the permanent home of Malden Bowling Club, and where it has remained ever since.
Over the last century, many hundreds if members have played on our green, enjoying notable success, both at County and National
Level, whilst playing bowls in a friendly, sociable atmosphere.
The financial generosity and hard work of members throughout the decades, has enabled our club to continue the traditions of the game of bowls, whilst embracing new ideas, and the changes necessary to enhance our sport.
The spirit of which, our club retains to this day, as it welcomes new bowlers of all abilities and ages.