Our History

The Margate Bowlimg Club would appear to have been in existance prior to 1911 as at the inuagural meeting of the Kent County Bowling association held on the 1st March 1911,two representatives of the Margate Bowling Club were present and on the 26th April that year the Club was affiliated to theKent County Association.The green was then at Dane Park under the control of the Margate Corporation as it was known.

Folling the First World War representations were made to the Corporation to provide better greens and when these proposals were refused some members set about to obtain a Cumberland Turf Green of their own.

Here tribute must be made to the energetic Honorary Secretary Mr. Percy Snow who purchased land at Northdown Ave.for this purpose.On the 20th February 1922 a delegation of Margate bowlers met at the Arcadian Hotel and decided to forma private club with their own green.A private company was formed with a capital of £2.000. Mr Snow had the land conveyed to the Company accepting a mortgage on the land as security.

The green was laid dy Messrs Poven and son of Scotland,at a cost of £900 and the pavilion erected by Messrs. Rice and Son of Margate and London at the cost of £530.

In May 1922 the green was formally opened by the Mayor of Margate and a match followed members of the Margate Bowling Club and the Kent County Bowling Association led by the president of the association Mr.W.A.King. The result was a win for the association of 24 shots,after the game the club entertained the association and other visitors to tea with the club President Mr.E.Newcombe in the chair.

The venture proved highly successful and apart from a three year interval during the last war(1939-1945)the club has continued over a 80 year period to be very popular,producing many good players of a high standard.During the war due to hostilities the green suffered bomb damage and reopened for play in 1943.In february of 1945 the president Mr.Percy Snow handed over to the club the deeds of the land free of any commitments.

At the end of the 1945 season the green was relaid by Messrs.Maxwell Hart with lancashire sea-washed turf at a cost of £738 and is still in excellent condition in no small measure of the green ranger Mr.Aw Nunney and the green keeper Mr.Cyril Weston.

The link between Margate Bowling Club and the Kent County Bowling Association has always been strong and special and in this connection the enthusiastic work of Mr.Percy Snow will always be remembered particularly his work and association for the Benevolent Fund.In 1930 he prepared a report and submitted a scheme for the formation of the fund which was adopted.In 1932 he presented a triple trophy to be competed for in aid of the Benevolent Fund,when the English Bowling Association adopted the triple game as a national competion in 1945 the Benevolent Fund Triples became the County Triples.Since its formation over £47.000 has been submitted to the Benevolent Fund and more than £40.000 has been distributed to bowlers and their dependents in need.