History of the Club
Malmesbury Bowls Club is the third oldest Club in Wiltshire. It opened in 1908 as Malmesbury Bowls and Croquet Club. Its location is between the River Avon and the Ingleburn River in St John's Street.
The green sits on an island which was known as "Little Mead". Mead is an old English word for meadow. The club ground was originally leased but it was bought in the 1960s.
When the Club was established, there were only four bowling rinks however, with the increase in membership in the 1970s, it was decided to add two more rinks with land reclaimed from part of the River Avon. The present Club House was opened in 1964 and the Ladies Section of the Club was formed in 1976.
The biggest success recorded by Malmesbury Bowls Club was in 1976 when the Men became the first in the county to win a national club title. The team of Norman Reynolds, Chris Purbrick, Mike Trimble, Cecil Exton, Derek Mearns, Joe Wood, Pete McLoughlin and Jim Aylward lifted the Nat West Two Fours trophy defeating Belgrave (Leicestershire) in the final.
On the County front, Cecil Exton won the Champion of Champions competition in 1992 while Jim Aylward was victorious in the Two Wood Singles in 1988 and 1989. Malmesbury duos have won the County Pairs three times in 1963, 1984 and 1992. (names to follow). While Colin Hicks, Mike Savin and Bernard Crabb won the County Triples in 1992.
The Ladies won the County Fours in 1985 with quartet of Rosemary Woods, Kath Saunders, Rose Frayling and Patsy Trimble.