Lawn Bowls (flat green bowls) is an ancient game played on a flat lawn or 'green' at least 40 by 40 yards in size. The green is surrounded by a ditch approximately two inches deep and twelve inches wide and enclosed by a bank sloping at 35 degrees from the perpendicular. Matches may be played by one, two, three or four players on each of two sides who bowl balls, known as 'bowls' or 'woods' at a smaller white ball, known as 'the jack'. The winner of the game being the player whose ball finishes closest to the target ball, the jack.
In the crown green bowls variation, the game is played on a green with a slight slope.
The oldest bowling green is thought to be that of the Southampton Town BowlingClub, which was founded in 1299. During the 14th century bowls was so popular in England that in 1366 the king, Edward III, passed a law forbidding the playing of bowls as he feared it may be distracting men from their archery practice. The law was subsequently renewed in 1386 by the new king, Richard II, and the laws
were further reasserted by Henry VIII in 1541. Research Lawn Bowls
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Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Lawn Bowls
