Welcome to the Frampton on Severn Bowling Club – located in rural Gloucestershire. Situated in the Severn Vale about eight miles south of Gloucester City Centre and just two miles from Junction 13 of the M5 motorway.
Welcome to the Frampton on Severn Bowling Club – located in rural Gloucestershire. Situated in the Severn Vale about eight miles south of Gloucester City Centre and just two miles from Junction 13 of the M5 motorway.
Our bowling club was established in 1923 with a current membership of approximately 80 mixed members. We are very aware of our place in the community and regularly welcome new members to the club. Our excellent bowling facilities consist of a 6 rink green, the adjoining modern clubhouse is well-appointed with bar, kitchen facilities and comfortable lounge area.
We cater both for competitive and social bowlers. For new bowlers, there is a range of club bowls you can use until you are ready to buy your own. We can also offer you free lessons with one of our coaches and provide further coaching as part of your membership.
Club members can participate at whatever level they wish. Regular club events cater for bowlers of all abilities and commitment.
Members can also take part in more competitive club championships, inter-club events and events organised by Gloucestershire Bowls and Bowls England. We also have a lot of fun with regular social events and dinners throughout the year.
Club Supporters
The Cadbury family, being Quakers, had the health and welfare of their employees very much in mind and to this end they provided sports facilities in the form of a cricket pitch, hard tennis courts and a bowls club. Sadly, the only one remaining is the bowls club, Lakefield School is built on the cricket pitch and the tennis courts have slowly decayed and are now covered in brambles and weeds and are within the boundary of the Industrial Estate, though new tennis courts were recently built by the adjacent Community Centre.
Rumour has it that bowls was officially played for the first time in Frampton on the current site in 1922 on a miniature green (30 yards square) but it was pretty rough, not very level and hardly used. A number of the Cadbury employees asked the management if the green could be brought up to standard size ( 4 rinks ) and Bert Davis was given the task with Cadbury’s supplying the labour and materials. The green was inspected and passed fit to play and a Mr Wilkins from Cam Bowls Club helped get the club affiliated to the Gloucestershire Bowling Association and so started the Cadbury’s Bowls Club.
By April 1957 the green had been extended to 6 rinks and was officially opened by the President of the Gloucestershire Bowling Association, Mr W G Guy. The facilities were poor, only a hut for the mower and bowls kit — in those days Cadbury’s supplied all that was required, shoes, bowls etc.
By now the club were playing friendly fixtures with neighbouring teams and Cadbury’s was always a popular fixture not because of the green or facilities but because at the end of the game, free hot chocolate or coffee was supplied — the milk being brought across from the factory in a bucket and warmed up in the kitchen of Cadbury’s Hall. As already mentioned the Cadbury family were Quakers and no alcohol was allowed on site.
It was in 1982 that Cadbury’s sold the green to the members for a nominal fee providing it would always be a bowls club. It was at this time that the name of the club was changed to Frampton on Severn Bowls Club. A portable terrapin building was bought from a site in South Wales and club members helped convert it into a clubhouse which was to remain in use until 1986.
At the end of the 1986 season the old clubhouse was demolished and the current one built with contractors erecting the block work with the rest of the construction being carried out by the club members. As there is only pedestrian access to the site, all the building materials had to be brought up the pathway from the car park in front of Cadbury’s Hall (now the Frampton Community Centre). It was a formidable task but the work was completed by April 1987 in time for the new season.
Gloucestershire Bowling Association
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Bowls England
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Sunday League
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Frampton BC Facebook Page
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South Cotswold League
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Frampton on Severn Village Website
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Frampton on Severn Bowls Bowls Club is ideally located less than 10 minutes from the M5. Situated in the heart of Gloucestershire, the village offers more than a bowls club. For those tourists who are having a day off from bowls or are “non” bowlers the village boasts many attractions. For example …. The longest village green in England, the green is surrounded by old cottages ….some thatched, old farm houses and the famous Frampton Court which dates back to the 18th Century. It is a Grade 1 Listed Country House.
We mustn’t forget the canal which once again is a very short walk from the clubhouse. The canal is busy with both wild life, pleasure cruisers and if you are lucky a 5 masted sailing ship making its way either to Gloucester or down to Sharpness for access to the Bristol Channel. For those more energetic a circular walk from the club house up the green past the church and back down the canal is worthwhile especially as you also get a great view of the River Severn. The walk would take about an hour. Should you get thirsty or hungry on the way around you will pass the Bell Inn, and The Green Shop.
