.Welcome to the website of Saxon Bowlers. We are a very friendly bunch of people who play short mat bowls at the Saxon Hall in Raunds every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1.45 to 4.00 p.m.

We hold regular internal competitions from October to March and also compete against other local clubs during those months.

We have been going since 1991 and have grown from strength to strength although we always welcome new members if we can accommodate them. We usually have three mats in use and attract twenty or more players per session.

Short mat bowls is played indoors and as the name suggests it is roughly half the distance employed by the full size game. If this is a game which you have not played before here is a brief overview.

The game is played on a portable mat which is between forty and forty five feet in length and six feet wide. It is played indoors and can be accommodated in village halls, schools, sports and social clubs etc as the mats are rolled up for storage so do not need a permanent area.

You bowl to a smaller ball called the jack and the object of the game is for your woods, (bowls), to be nearer the jack than the opposition. However this involves skills and tactical knowledge which are gained the more you play. (Incidentally, bowls are often still referred to as “woods” because that’s what they were originally made out of).

The England Short Mat Bowling Association is the national body for the sport and was formed in 1984 with a nucleus now approaching 20,000 members. This association encourages competitions between various bowls clubs although, as mentioned above, we do get involved with other clubs and hold friendly competitions both at home and away.

Bowls is an excellent way to keep fit, it can be played by all ages, sexes and abilities and is a very enjoyable way to spend your spare time and make some new friends.

In order to encourage both new and existing members we offer free lessons from a fully qualified bowls instructor.

Please contact us by using the contact button below if you are interested in playing and we will accommodate you as soon as possible. If you would like to come and watch one of our sessions, just turn up at the Saxon hall in Raunds about 1.45 on a Tuesday or Thursday and you will be made most welcome.