Everything You Need to Know About Crown Green Bowls

If you are a beginner thinking of joining a crown green bowls club you will undoubtedly have all sorts of questions to ask before you sign up. Here Bowls World, who sell a wide range of crown green bowls equipment worldwide, provides some facts and information for newcomers to the sport.

When Was the Sport Invented?

Bowls has been a popular sport for centuries, and has been played in some form or another by famous names throughout history including Sir Francis Drake, King Henry VIII and even George Washington. During the 16th century, designated areas for bowling were attached to pubs and inns. But in the 17th century bowls were banned by Oliver Cromwell (a bowls player himself), as he was a puritan and believed ‘pointless enjoyment’ should be frowned upon. Fortunately, people tired of such strict rules and in the 18th century the sport, in various forms, made a comeback.

Although there is no set date when crown green bowls was invented, and no one name that the game can be attributed to, in the 1800s the sport really took off in northern England. Local and county matches were held and some crown green bowlers, particularly those in the Bolton area, were earning vast amounts of money through winnings, shares of the gate money, and proceeds from bets. According to Dr Peter Swain, in the academic journal Sport in History, top professional players at the time would earn around £800 in winnings, which is today’s equivalent of about £300,000 a year. The popularity of the sport led to the British Crown Green Bowls Association being established in the early part of the 20th century.

Where is it Played?

Crown green bowls is popular in the north of England (including Yorkshire, Lancashire, Nottingham, Greater Manchester and Merseyside), the Midlands (including Staffordshire and Shropshire), Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

How Does the Game Differ from Lawn Bowls?

Lawn bowls and crown green bowls are both played outdoors. However, instead of being played on a flat green, the main difference in crown green bowls is that the centre of the bowling green has a raised surface, called ‘the crown’. There is no set height for this raised part, although it can be up to 30 cms high and will slope towards a ditch created at the edge of the green. Unlike in lawn bowls, the green can be all sorts of shapes including square, rectangular and round.

Crown green bowls is usually played between two people, who use two bowls each. The bowls are called woods, and each wood is marked by an indent to identify which side of the bowl has the bias. As in lawn bowls the player rolls the ball towards the jack. However, a unique feature of crown green bowls is that the jack, or block, can be rolled (delivered) from any direction to any part of the green. The jack also contains a bias, and when used in competitions the rules are that it can only be white, black or yellow.

Another difference between the two is that each player must place one foot on the mat, also known as the footer, to deliver the bowl or the jack. The footer is circular with a textured surface to prevent slipping. The reason for the mat is so that both the jack and the wood is delivered from the same place.

Crown Green Bowls Equipment

At Bowls World we sell a variety of crown green bowls equipment. Among the bowls we sell include Taylor Deluxe Crown bowls, a classic bowl set with the Taylor’s special ornamentation, and Taylor Grippa Crown bowls, which have all the features of the standard Deluxe, with a cutting edge grip for wet conditions. Also available through Bowls World are the Taylor Elite Crown bowls, for the budget conscious bowler.

Our jacks include the Taylor Standard Crown Jack, in black or yellow, which is designed to meet the standards set by the British Crown Green Bowling Association. For practice purposes, however, the Taylor Crown Elite Practice Jack is ideal. For all of the above allow two weeks for delivery.

In addition, we sell rubber footer mats in blue, yellow and red, which are delivered free to the UK mainland.

Crown Green Bowls Equipment – Click on the link to see our full range of crown green bowls equipment.