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Somerset / Devon Skittles

Somerset / Devonshire Pins

Devonshire skittle pin, kingpin with composition and Lignum Vitae balls These large skittle pins are used in pubs and leagues around Somerset and East Devon, and also can be found in the Channel Islands.

The pins are made from sturdy hardwood. They are approximately 6 inches diameter and 12 inches high and almost always include a Kingpin that is around 14 - 15 inches high.

See the Skittle pin timber page for more information on the timber used in the making of these large pins. Wood is a natural material and over time the skittles will become increasingly worn. For more information on returns and defects, read our Timber Quality Statement.

Made in Britain



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Set of 8 Somerset / Devon skittle pins + kingpin (Rubberwood)

Approx dimensions: 12 x 6 inch pins, 15 x 6 inch kingpin

£241.58 £289.90 Eng/Wales:
4 wk.days

Set of 8 Somerset / Devon style pins + kingpin (solid Beech)

Approx dimensions: 12 x 6 inch + 14 x 6 inch kingpin

£288.25 £345.90 Eng/Wales:
21 wk.days

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Set of 9 Somerset / Devon style pins (no kingpin, Rubberwood)

Approx dimensions: 12 x 6 inches

£233.25 £279.90 Eng/Wales:
4 wk.days

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Skittle Balls

Lignum Vitae, is the most traditional wood for Nine pins. It is extremely hard, very heavy and also self-lubricating. Unfortunately Lignum is a tropical hardwood that is protected and in recent years has become almost impossible to obtain. The Phenol resin composite balls are deliberately made to a similar weight and density and have proved to be an adequate substitute for many serious skittle pubs and leagues across England.

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3 black phenolic resin 5.5 inch skittle balls

Approx dimensions: Each ball 5.5 inch diameter, 4lb 8oz

£162.42 £194.90 Eng/Wales:
2 wk.days

3 black phenolic resin 6 inch skittle balls

Approx dimensions: Each ball 6 inch diameter, 6lb

£133.25 £159.90 Eng/Wales:
2 wk.days

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The Origin of Skittles

Skittles, or Nine Pins, as played in an alley has always been a popular pub game and is the ancestor of related games including ten-pin bowling and various indoor skittles variations.  The origins of the game are uncertain but in Germany, in the 3rd or 4th century, monks played a game with a kegel which was a club carried for self defence.  In the game, the kegel represented a sin or temptation and the monks would throw stones at it until they knocked it over.  The modern German term for skittles is Kegelen.  There are also two 14th century manuscripts that show a game called Kayles and depict throwers about to launch a long club-like object at eight pins and a kingpin.

The typical form of Skittles is wherein balls are thrown or rolled from one end of an alley in an effort to knock down nine pins at the other end.  Over the years, Skittles developed regional variations in the size of equipment, the rules and so forth.  In the East Midlands, people play Long Alley in which the projectiles are rough balls or small capsule shaped logs called "cheeses" and a score is only made if the cheeses bounce a single time just in front of the pins.  Old English Skittles or London Skittles, as played at the famous Freemasons Arms in Hampstead, is a majestic game in which enormous discus-shaped cheeses are flung so that they hit the skittles directly without touching the floor first. 

From these old games, various miniaturised versions appeared which were more convenient for many pubs with limited space. These include Northamptonshire Skittles and the extremely popular Table Skittles or Devil Amongst The Tailors.

The most popular version of skittles, however, is West Country Skittles wherein 9 skittles are arranged in a square at the end of an alley that might be 24 feet, sometimes much longer.  Each turn starts with all the skittles standing and consists of three balls being rolled down the alley.  If all the pins are knocked down, then they are reset.  So the maximum score in one turn is 27.

You can learn more about the History of Skittles from The Online Guide to Traditional Games.