Salthouse Bowls Club was formed nearly a century ago during the 1930’s.
Originally, the club was based at The Dun Cow Public House just off the Village Green and adjacent to the Coast Road. This is where the Club played its “home” games for about 50 years. The last game to be played at The Dun Cow was the Jubilee Challenge Tankard Competition in September 1982.
Despite being deprived of their “home” ground, Salthouse Bowls Club members resolved to try and keep the Club going and were successful in raising sufficient funds to rent an unused bowling green at Apple Hill Hotel, Kelling (now The Pheasant Hotel) for a period of two years. Unfortunately, members of the Club were unable to improve the quality of the playing surface to the required standard and so it was decided, with the support and approval of the Coastal Bowls League, to play all of their league matches “away” from home, until such time that they could acquire a bowling green which met the required playing standard.
Salthouse Village Hall (otherwise known as British Columbia Hall), which was built in 1955 following the great tidal surge of 1953, had a sizeable area of land at its front. This piece of land was designated as being suitable for a bowls green when the Hall was first built, but because of competing financial pressures of the era, plans for the intended bowling green were shelved.
However, in 1983, with the permission and encouragement of Salthouse Parish Council; the full backing of The Village Hall Management Committee; and with loans from Club members, the specially designated land in front of the Village Hall was professionally surveyed and levelled. In September 1983 Club members raked the ground level and removed stones in preparation for seeding. Village Hall soakways were re-routed and modifications were made to the stage door steps to alter the direction of access and to accommodate a concrete base for a club hut which had to be removed and transported from its previous site at The Dun Cow. A flint retaining wall was also built at considerable expense to support the steep bank at the entrance to the site. Members then constructed a perimeter fence around the new bowling green before sewing special bowling green grass seed, the purchase of which was was funded by way of a generous donation by Group Captain John F. Newman who lived at The Manor House in Cross Street. Funds for the bowling green project were also raised by club members who ran an ‘eeling’ competition; organised a jumble sale; and manned a tea and coffee stall. There were also donations from villagers and a grant from North Norfolk Council.
On Whit Monday 27 May 1985 the new bowling green was officially opened by Group Captain John F. Newman who cast the first official wood.
Forty years on from acquiring its present site and nearly a century after its formation, Salthouse Bowls Club now struggles to maintain a viable membership.
A photograph of Group Captain John F. Newman DSO DFC casting the first official wood on 27 May 1985 appears below, together with a photograph of the Village Hall taken on 19 July 1983 before the bowling green was constructed. There are two further photographs taken in August 1983 showing the bowls green during the course of construction.
Salthouse History Group wish to record their thanks to Richard G. Cooke, a former resident of Salthouse and Honorary Secretary of Salthouse Bowls Club for providing the information contained in this article along with the accompanying photographs.