Barnes has a long and rich tradition of bowling. Although now the only survivor of at least half a dozen in the area, the green behind the Sun Inn – home of the Barnes Bowling Club (BBC) – has flourished. It is now recognised as the last remaining pub green in London, and also the oldest green overall in the capital.

Over the years, a number of people have sought to find out more about its history, most recently 2025 BBC Captain and amateur historian Alaric Evans. Alaric’s research, within the wider context of bowling in Barnes, indicates a clear link from pre-1693 to the present day.

Although the BBC as we know it today was established in 1889, the green was there well before then. Indeed, the first reference to a cottage and land specifically called the Bowling Green in this area was in the manorial court records of 1693. In 1775 that cottage, by then known as Bowling Green House, became the village school, and is now the Day Centre, by the side of Barnes Pond. The land originally known as the Bowling Green was presumably nearby.

Separately, a map dated 1837 makes specific reference to a bowling green behind the Sun Inn. The Sun was there at least half a century earlier, and a map dated 1783 shows an adjacent piece of land essentially identical to today’s bowling green, albeit not explicitly named as such.

The connection between the two locations is made clear by secondary sources. These cite the school being founded on the former bowling green site, and also refer to a new location being found for the green – and presumably its now displaced bowlers – across the street, behind the Sun Inn.

It thus seems likely that, three centuries ago, a game not dissimilar to today’s was being played by predecessors of the Barnes Bowling Club only yards from today’s green. That is a history of which not only the Club, but also the wider Barnes community, can justly be proud.

One uncertainty is how the date of 1725 came to be attributed to the Club’s origins. Although this remains unclear, 2025 provides a fitting opportunity to celebrate a remarkable tradition of bowling in Barnes and to strengthen the Club’s position at the centre of the Barnes community.