A Brief History

Muswell Hill used to be a rural Middlesex village dominated by about a dozen large country residences. North Bank in Pages Lane is a surviving example of such an estate.
With the opening of Alexandra Palace in 1873, Muswell Hill had gained a railway station and a steam train service to King’s Cross. Yet housing development was initially slow. By the first decade of the 20th century this had all changed and it was fast becoming a London suburb with reasonable access to the City.
The bowling club site was part of an estate called Fortis Lodge and the land was acquired for £50 a year on 5 November 1900 by three gentlemen who became the first lessees. Two years later they bought the land and its pavilion for £600. The deed covenanted that no building more than one storey high was to be erected and that the land was not to be used for any other purpose than as a bowling green, tennis club or cricket ground, or nursery or nursery garden without the express consent of the vendor, which we believe is still the case even though the vendor is no longer alive. It took another two years to form a club with members; due in part to the phenomenal success of James Gillespie Carruthers (known for the Carruthers Shield), who was a luminary of the club for 54 years.
Muswell Hill Bowling Club was formed at a time when a sense of community was considered important. Associations for bowls, tennis, football, cricket and other activities were part of a well-organised movement to provide legitimate sporting outlets for the
expanding population of the country. All helped save acres of open land from being built over.
The Bowling Club grew and in 1935 a ladies section was grudgingly formed with the total membership limited to 100 players. Numbers after the War remained at the 80 - 90 mark until the last decade of the 20th century but by its 100th birthday in 2001 numbers were dwindling.
Since 2010 membership has started to grow again and we now have 30 - 40 playing members and 40 - 50 social members.
With the opening of Alexandra Palace in 1873, Muswell Hill had gained a railway station and a steam train service to King’s Cross. Yet housing development was initially slow. By the first decade of the 20th century this had all changed and it was fast becoming a London suburb with reasonable access to the City.
The bowling club site was part of an estate called Fortis Lodge and the land was acquired for £50 a year on 5 November 1900 by three gentlemen who became the first lessees. Two years later they bought the land and its pavilion for £600. The deed covenanted that no building more than one storey high was to be erected and that the land was not to be used for any other purpose than as a bowling green, tennis club or cricket ground, or nursery or nursery garden without the express consent of the vendor, which we believe is still the case even though the vendor is no longer alive. It took another two years to form a club with members; due in part to the phenomenal success of James Gillespie Carruthers (known for the Carruthers Shield), who was a luminary of the club for 54 years.
Muswell Hill Bowling Club was formed at a time when a sense of community was considered important. Associations for bowls, tennis, football, cricket and other activities were part of a well-organised movement to provide legitimate sporting outlets for the
expanding population of the country. All helped save acres of open land from being built over.
The Bowling Club grew and in 1935 a ladies section was grudgingly formed with the total membership limited to 100 players. Numbers after the War remained at the 80 - 90 mark until the last decade of the 20th century but by its 100th birthday in 2001 numbers were dwindling.
Since 2010 membership has started to grow again and we now have 30 - 40 playing members and 40 - 50 social members.