Bowling Green
Unlike ‘lawn bowls’ in the south of the UK, these greens had a raised ‘crown’ in the centre up to 30cm high, a gully around the outer edge, and could be square, round or rectangular.
Cheshire Observer: 8th August 1908
BOWLING. —The return-fixture between the Bailey Hill Bowling Club (Mold) and the Bowling Green Hotel bowlers was played on the Bailey Hill on Thursday, under delightful conditions. In the singles the Hill secured a majority of 57, and a lead often in the doubles. The total scores were Bailev Hill 194, Bowling Green 127.
The gates for the bowling greens at the Bailey Hill and Mold Recreation Ground were manufactured in the 1970's for the town council by Mr J Rhys Jones (confirmed in a personal exchange of messages with Mr Jones). Mr Jones had a workshop on Chester Road in the old MANWEB building at Ponterwyl between 1977-82, the building stands derelict today.
The gates at the 'rec' once had a bowling man and a bowling lady, but have been recently replaced with male figures on new gates. Those on Bailey Hill are thought to have been removed prior to the regeneration work commencing. It is thought that an old member of the bowling club may have taken them to save them from the skip thinking they were to be scrapped!
There is a reference to ladies playing Croquet on the bowling green on Bailey Hill in a piece printed in Wrexham and Denbs. Advertiser on 2 July 1870.
The laying out of a croquet lawn is mentioned in Edward Kemp’s plan of 1871:
“CROQUET GROUND AND BOWLING GREEN IN ONE SPOT. GYMNASIUM QUITE SEPARATE.
It has occurred to me that a gymnasium on the north side of the bowling green, as originally proposed, would become a very great source of annoyance to those using the bowling green, and that there is not sufficient space on that spot for giving such accommodation in the way of play to the poorer classes of the community as might be naturally looked for in a public recreation ground of this description. I have therefore deemed it better to suggest that the old bowling green should be laid down afresh in such a way as that it may be capable of being used for either bowls or croquet, and that the small garden which had been intended for a croquet ground should be assigned for the purpose of a gymnasium. In this way the bowling green will be kept comparatively private and quiet; and the gymnasium also will be quite by itself, and need not be entered, unless at pleasure, by any but the parties using it.”
Between 1871 and 1875 there appeared a number of references in local papers to the game being played on the hill and croquet is mentioned as still being played there in a tourist guide of 1890.
The minutes of the Mold Local Board 27 March 1871, also make reference to the Board agreeing that the ’garden on the hill be made into a croquet lawn’. (*) On 20 July 1874 it was agreed that ‘two sets of croquet mallets and balls be purchased and that one penny per hour be charged per person playing at croquet’. On 4 March 1875 it was minuted that Richard Roberts’ tender for fencing the croquet grounds at Bailey Hill for £7 be accepted.
* Precise location of garden not known, but references in the Mold Local Board minutes regarding new fences indicate that it backed on to the Methodist Chapel (6/8/74).
In the same report, Edward Kemp has this reference to quoiting.
OUOITING GROUNDS.
I have thought it unnecessary to define or otherwise to interfere with the two spots to be set apart for quoiting. These quoiting grounds can be levelled a little, if desired; or they might even be surrounded by a hedge, in an oblong form with the ends rounded. But I think they will look better to be kept open.
The Victorian gymnasium is very different to the ‘Gyms’ of today, their gymnasiums were what we would call an open air exercise area with few if any pieces of equipment, although some gymnasiums areas included swings and seesaws.
Again from Kemp’s report:
TREATMENT OF GYMNASIUM, AND HEDGE FOR DITTO.
I have proposed to define the gymnasium by a hedge of privet and thorn (two privets to one thorn), and make it circular, using only the higher part of the present garden. The circle would be 80 feet in diameter, which would be quite large enough and the whole should be laid down in gravel, the swings and various other articles being placed and arranged in any desired way. The ground will probably require lowering about three or four feet on the upper side, and the material so obtained may be used in giving a better slope to the banks behind the entrance cottage, which is close at hand.
Unfortunately whilst we have Kemp’s report, the detailed plan to which he refers has been lost. Much further investigation is required to find out when and where tennis, croquet, quoiting and bowls were played on Bailey Hill and also the proposed gymnasium.
The O.S. map of 1870 indicates that there was an entrance on the west side of the hill off Pwll Glas together with a possible garden, certainly paths and there are summerhouses marked. Unfortunately, none of this survives, three houses having been built on this area in the 1870’s by Edward Wharton, which is a story in itself.
