COMBERBACH Bowling Club reach an impressive milestone this summer.

Located on Marbury Road and sandwiched between the village war memorial and the village hall lies one of the area’s hidden gems, Comberbach Bowling Club, who are celebrating a very special anniversary in August with the club reaching 100 years in existence.

The history of the green dates to Lord Barrymore of Marbury Hall donating a piece of land to the village after the first world war.

The land was to be used for the village war memorial, bowling green and children’s play area.

In 1919 a memorial committee was set up to raise funds and organise the layout of the land.

And in the summer of 1921, the war memorial was erected, and the bowling green was laid.

The green was officially opened on August 27, 1921, by Lord Barrymore and Mr Roscoe Brunner.

Lord Barrymore went on to be the first president of the club and presented a silver cup to the club named after his wife. The Barrymore Cup was first played for in 1922 and Joe Atkinson, a local bookmaker, was the first winner.

Members of the club still compete for the cup annually and it is the most prized trophy at the club.

Over the last 100 years the bowling green and surrounds have seen many changes.

Bowling on the green stopped during the second world war and the green became overgrown.

However, Comberbach BC has always formed a vital part of the community in the village and this could not be better shown than by a group of volunteers armed with scythes, shears, a mowing machine and even a pair of horses getting together to mow the overgrown grass on the green to enable bowling to resume.

The original bowls pavilion was erected in 1922 at a cost of £69 pounds, 16 Shillings and 7 pence equivalent to about £6,000 in today’s money. The present bowls pavilion was built in 1963.

A small bar, which was installed in 1980, remains to this date and profits generated have allowed continual improvements to maintain the green and surroundings.

The club is always immaculate and seems to catch the sun in the evening like no other club in the area.

What strikes most about the club is its family nature. Often you will play against teams with brothers, fathers and sons and sometimes mothers as well in them.

The members are also fiercely loyal which is best shown by the long service of club officials. Maurice Jones was treasurer for 50 years from 1960-2010.

The club currently has two teams in both the Norley Afternoon and Evening leagues along with four teams in the Mid Cheshire League.

They have tasted recent success with victories for their C team in the Littler Cup in 2019 and the Whitby Cup in 2015 and 2010 for their first team.

Their first team also ended Castle Sports unbeaten streak in the Mid Cheshire Premier Division in 2019.

Two players brought through the ranks at the club have represented Cheshire over recent seasons in the shape of Matt Thurlwell and Danny Moores. Thurlwell also won the converted Guardian Cup in 2013.

Comberbach plan to celebrate their centenary over the bank holiday weekend in August with an exhibition match between their first team and a representative side from the Mid Cheshire League.

The Barrymore Cup will also be played for over that weekend.

If you are a resident in the village you could do a lot worse than to pop along to the club over the summer months – a warm welcome awaits.