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History

Situated on the north side of Letchworth Garden City in Hertfordshire, and Positioned behind the Three Horseshoes public house in Norton Road, Norton Bowling Club can be seen as a typical village bowling club. However the history of the club reveals it's importance in the formation of bowls as a sport in Hertfordshire.

Norton B.C. was founded in 1908 and their first recorded match was a 70-50 point win over Walsworth BC on Saturday August 22nd 1908, (although they lost the return match four days later by 86-40).

On 1909 Norton helped to establish the North Herts Bowling league along with neighbouring clubs Hitchin Walsworth, Stevenage, Baldock, Datchworth and Woolmer Green. The fees for that season were set at five shillings (25 pence in new money)!

On December 2nd 1920, in a meeting at the Railway Hotel, Hitchin, representatives from Norton along with Hitchin, Knebworth and St Albans Townsend became founder members of the Hertfordshire Bowls Association.

24 years later, Norton were again at the beginning of another association, this time becoming one of the six founder members of the Letchworth & District B.A. An entry from the club minutes of 1948 notes that Norton joined with Howard Garden B/C at a meeting on Wednesday November 3rd "...for the purpose of forming a Letchworth & District B.A.".

More recently Norton have become members of the Stevenage and District Mixed Bowling Association and although this time they weren't founders they have actively supported the association's league and cup competitions.

As with most clubs the fortunes of Norton B.C. have varied over the years with regards not only to membership numbers but also with regards to results in local, district and county competitions. Since the introduction of the ladies section in 1963, when they were asked to join at thirty shillings per season (£1.50), the playing strength of the club has increased. This has been repeated over the past few years as Norton has enjoyed a renaissance in it's bowling success, and is once again making it's presence felt as they approach their centenary year of 2008.