Club History

In 1977 four Winterton men played bowls for Martham Hall Road. After their match one evening they stopped off for a drink at their local, The Wishing Well, now demolished. During the ensuing conversation they enquired of the manager whether it would be feasible to have a bowling green at the premises on the tennis courts. The reaction was almost instantaneous. The manager rang the landlord and within five minutes the answer came back, yes, and plans started to unfold. A public meeting was held to find out how much interest there might be. Club membership began with 17 or 18 members. In 1978 a team was formed with the Winterton men and women who initially played at Martham as the Martham Hall Road 'C' Team.

Fund raising began almost immediately and work was started on the green by club volunteers and Winterton on Sea Bowls Club came into being on 2nd June 1979 when Mr Eddie Lytton officially opened the club and bowled the first wood. The Famous Four who started the ball rolling were Herbert Howes, David King, Ken Lincoln and Owen Page. The first chairman was Ernie Craske, David King was treasurer and the secretary was Ken Lincoln. The fund raising continued with great encouragement from Mrs Kate Findlay from The Fisherman's Return, the local hostelry, and the club membership grew over the next few years, reaching as many as 80.

Then, in the late 1980s, the owner of the land on which the club stood wanted to develop it and the members had to find a new location. On Saturday 28th July 1990 the last 'roll up' took place on The Wishing Well Green. 36 members took part, including seven members of the founding group. It was a sad time for all after thirteen years but tempered with the knowledge that after successful negotiations with Great Yarmouth Borough Council a new location, with a 21 year lease, was waiting for them at the local playing fields on Somerton Road. This also included a brick pavilion, built with the hard work of the women and men, members of the club at the old green, who brought their many and varied skills to the task. There was a great sense of achievement amongst the members, who had worked so hard in giving their time and effort in hundreds of ways, that they could now enjoy the fruits of their labours.

The New Winterton Bowls Club was opened by Mrs Kate Findley, Chair of the local parish council, who bowled the first wood.

Since then there have been many improvements: an extension to the pavilion, a veranda, gutter boards, edging slabs and many more. The green, which is up to EBA standard, has a good reputation locally, due to the hard work initially of Donald Bews, the first greenkeeper, to the current greenkeeping team, with the additional help of members in the upkeep and maintenance around the club.

Today, the club welcomes new members as well as visitors and many happy hours are spent playing a friendly game of bowls.