|
|
LEWES BOWLS |
Lewes Bowls?
What is it?
Lewes, in East Sussex (U.K.) is the last home of the game of bowls that would have been familiar to Sir Francis Drake.
The game is played on the old "Tilting Ground" where the knights of William de Warenne would have practised their jousting abilities and honed their fighting skills. The Tilting ground lies within the confines of Lewes Castle which was built in 1087, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The earliest references to bowls having been played on this site date back to 1658 although the present Lewes Bowling Green Society has only been in existence since 1753 when the season was advertised as...
"when and where all gentlemen who are lovers of that diversion are entreated to subscribe their names to a club ,the condition being to pay Five shillings for the season and to spend sixpence when present. No penalty for being absent".
Unlike the level, even, manicured sward of a Crown Green bowling green, Lewes bowling green, covering ¾ of an acre, is full of undulations and valleys to tax the ingenuity of the players. The playing surface, although cut very short, is made up of fairly rough grasses and full of daisy and dandelion which reflects the fact that "Drakes" bowls were once to be found being played on any village green or open field.
(L) The pavilion, with historic, Lewes castle in the background. (R) Members bowls arranged in the pavilion.
To compensate for the vagaries of the green, the bowls themselves are a little different to modern bowls. They are smaller and heavier than one would expect and have a more "cheese like" shape than the round ball one is more used to. They generally have a particularly heavy bias. The smaller, "Jack," also has a bias to further confound the players. The Society owns 40 bowls, (some of which are 200 years old) with each player allocated two bowls. Even within a pair of bowls, each one is slightly different, having been turned by hand from exotic hardwoods such as Mahogany and Lignum Vitae. Players invariably lead with their favourite "first bowl" and follow with their "second wood".
((L) Play underway. (C) Agreement as to who wins an end is generally by consensus and judged by eye. (R) A close end. The measuring stick will be needed to decide this point. Note the shape of the (smaller) jack which is also biased.
Unlike today's modern green, there is no real definition as to what an "end" should consist of. This is complicated further by the fact that the green is roughly circular in shape. The boundary of the green is defined simply as being where the perimeter flower beds begin and the grass finishes. An end can be as long or short as you prefer and in any given direction. In practise, however, the ages and stamina of the players is taken into consideration and a length is usually 20-30 yards. Ironically enough, a short end of about 10 yards is probably the most difficult to judge as the weight of the bowls and the slopes of the green make them incredibly difficult to stop.
Some very famous, (adopted) sons of Lewes have been regulars on the green, most notably, Tom Paine. Perhaps the first steps towards American Independence were taken as Tom pondered on the "Rights of Man" whilst playing a game of bowls.