Lawn Bowls
Drakes Pride are the longest established English bowls manufacturer and are still the leading supplier of quality bowling equipment in the World. Masters Traditional Games are proud to bring you their bowls equipment.
Made in Britain
Bowls
Drakes Pride produce 2 types of quality composition lawn bowls for outdoor lawn bowlers. If you are unsure what size or weight you need, please visit our FAQ for bowls size and specification advice.
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The Professional bowls have proved to be successful on the indoor greens and the faster outdoor greens for which they were designed. They take a tight line with a consistent finish. This is often preferred to the hook finish enabling a greater range of shots.
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The Professional Plus is the Drakes Pride dedicated outdoor bowl.
It's shape, feel and handling are based on the ever popular Professional
model BUT it has |
Change to $  Change to  |
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
Typical ETA in wkg days |
Add to basket |
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Drakes Pride Professional bowls (set of 4) |
£121.65 | £139.90 | 3 + transit time | ||
Drakes Pride Professional Plus bowls (set of 4) |
£121.65 | £139.90 | Apologies - product is discontinued | ||
For an immediate quote and ETA, add to the basket & select your location. |
Coloured, Speckled and Mini Bowls
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Drakes Pride also produce Professional and Professional Plus bowls in bright colours for those who like to stand out on the green. Only available in Heavyweight. And for the younger enthusiast, they produce a set of Mini Drakes Pride Professional Bowls - these are black, measure 107mm in diameter and cannot be engraved but they will fit in the palm of a youngster very nicely and represent the perfect introduction to the game.
| Change to $ Change to |
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
Typical ETA in wkg days |
Add to basket |
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Drakes Pride Professional bowls (Heavyweight, Coloured, set of 4) |
£186.87 | £214.90 | Apologies - product is discontinued | ||
Mini Drakes Pride Professional Lawn Bowls (set of 4) |
£105.37 | £121.18 | 3 + transit time | ||
For an immediate quote and ETA, add to the basket & select your location. |
Mats and Jacks
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Mats measure 14 x 24 inches (35.5 x 61.5cm).
| Change to $ Change to |
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
Typical ETA in wkg days |
Add to basket |
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Standard Yellow Jack (63-64mm, approx. 230g) |
£10.35 | £11.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
Standard White Jack (63-64mm, approx. 230g) |
£10.35 | £11.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
Regulation Foot Mat (pair, black with white border) |
£15.57 | £17.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
Yellow Regulation Foot Mat (pair, yellow) |
£14.70 | £16.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
For an immediate quote and ETA, add to the basket & select your location. |
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The Origin of Bowls
Bowls historians believe that bowls developed from the Egyptians. One of their pastimes was to play skittles with round stones. This has been determined based on artefacts found in tombs dating circa 5,000 B.C. The sport spread across the world and took on a variety of forms, Bocce (Italian), Bolla (Saxon), Bolle (Danish), Boules (French) and Ula Miaka (Polynesian). The oldest Bowls green still played on is in Southampton, England where records show that the green has been in operation since 1299 A.D. There are other claims of greens being in use before that time, but these are, as yet, unsubstantiated
King Henry VIII was a lawn bowler. However, he banned the game for those who were not wealthy or "well to do" because "Bowyers, Fletchers, Stringers and Arrowhead makers" were spending more time at recreational events such as bowls instead of practising their trade. Henry VIII requested that anybody who wished to keep a bowling green pay a fee of 100 pounds. However, the green could only be used for private bowls play and he forbade anyone to "play at any bowle or bowles in open space out of his own garden or orchard". In 1845, the ban was lifted, and people were again allowed to play bowls and other games of skill.
Nowadays, Bowls is a hugely popular world sport. It appears in a variety of guises - Lawn Bowls and Indoor Bowls are recognised International sports with formal bodies at all levels. Crown Green Bowls is also a major pastime for thousands of people but this game is restricted more to the British Isles. The smaller modern indoor versions of the game - Shortmat Bowls and Carpet Bowls are also more of a British game but are less popular. Table Bowls appears to have turned up in the 19th century around the Carlisle area and although, it has never become hugely popular has apparently spread as far afield as Australia...
You can learn more about the Bowls from from The Online Guide to Traditional Games.