History of Bognor Regis Bowls Club

THE EARLY YEARS

The Bognor Bowls Club was formed in 1923 following the construction of the first bowling green and pavilion at Waterloo Square. At that time the area we now know as 'B' Green was part of a putting green.

Waterloo Square was created by the founder of Bognor, Sir Richard Hotham, when he built Fitzleet House and Hothampton Terrace in the late 1790s. To ensure that these properties had sea views, he placed covenants on the fields at the front and these later became the centre of Waterloo Square. The properties were purchased by the Merchant Taylors Company in the 1870s and the covenants remained in force. In 1921 the centre of Waterloo Square and some of the surrounding buildings became the property of the Bognor Town Council. The initial covenants were still in force and when the Bowling pavilion was erected in 1923 it had to be built at a lower level to preserve the views of the properties then in place north of Waterloo Square.