Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

1906. Single storey, 5-bay rectangular-plan, timber boarded bowling pavilion with chamfered square-plan supports and timber railings to veranda along principal elevation. Plain bargeboards.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: Boarded door in bays 2, 4 and 5 (from left). Chamfered corner to right. Windows to centre and outer left bays. N (REAR) ELEVATION: window in slightly advanced bay to outer left. W (SIDE) ELEVATION: window set to right.

Timber-framed windows with top-hung upper lights. Corrugated-iron cat-slide roof; cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: largely intact. Locker room: timber boarded with full height fitted, numbered equipment lockers to each side; individual jack corner display shelving to SE angle. E Room with display cabinets, shelves and timber benches and metal hooks.

Statement of Special Interest

A largely intact early 20th century timber bowling clubhouse situated beside the Earl's Palace in Kirkwall. Mackay describes the clubhouse as 'well appointed'. The interior is lined with rows of numbered and labelled square timber lockers. Fitted display cabinets, shelves and timber benches remain in place. The reverse of the second entrance door retains its original enamelled lane markers and holders.

Lawn bowls has a long and distinguished history and remains a hugely popular sport. The earliest reference to the game in Scotland appeared in 1469, when James IV played a variation of the game referred to as 'lang bowlis' at St Andrews in Fife. The first public bowling green in Scotland was laid out in 1669 at Haddington, near Edinburgh, however it was not until 1864 that the rules of the modern game were committed to writing by William Mitchell of Glasgow in his Manual of Bowl-Playing. Machine manufactured standard bowls were invented by Thomas Taylor Ltd, also of Glasgow, in 1871 and the Scottish Bowling Association was formed in 1892. The advent of indoor bowling also began in Scotland around 1879. Today there are around 900 clubs in Scotland with an estimated 90,000 active lawn bowls players.

Change of statutory address and list description updated as part of the sporting buildings thematic study (2012-13). Previously listed as 'Kirkwall, Bowling Green, Bowling Pavilion'.

The clubhouse sits within the scheduled area boundary of the Earl's Palace (see Scheduled Ancient Monument Number 90194) but the above-ground clubhouse structure is excluded from the scheduling.

References

Bibliography

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.