Parliament Hill Bowling Club
WHERE
London
What it’s like
A proper grass green to try lawn bowls on, with guest rinks you can book for an after school session.
This is an outdoor bowling green, not a soft play or a ten-pin alley, so what you're getting is a stretch of grass and a set of woods to roll across it. Kids get a go at lawn bowling on the green itself, and the club lets you book guest rinks for after school activities, which is a nice way to fill an hour without needing your own membership.
It only runs April to September, and the hours are short: weekdays it's 2:15pm to 6pm, weekends 2:30pm to 6:30pm. That's not a huge window, so if you're planning around school pickup you'll want to get there promptly rather than drifting in at half five.
Getting in involves a couple of steps, literally: there are steps up into the grounds from the main entrance, then a step down onto the lawn itself. Worth knowing if you've got a buggy or a wobbly toddler in tow. On the plus side there's step-free access to the clubhouse, an accessible entrance gate, and a wheelchair adapted for the green itself, which they call the Bowls Royce.
Parking on Highgat Road is metered from 10am to noon and free after that, or you can try the surrounding streets for free parking any time. It's an easy trip by public transport too, with Gospel Oak Overground a ten minute walk away, or the Northern Line at Kentish Town or Tufnell Park a bit further at sixteen minutes.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- On-street parking on Highgate Road (pay 10am-12pm, free after 12pm) or free parking in surrounding roads
- Wheelchairs
- Accessible entrance gate and accessible toilet (contact to arrange opening), step-free access to clubhouse
- Getting there by bus or train
- Gospel Oak station (Overground) + 10 min walk
- The green only opens April to September, so it's a warm weather activity only
- Steps at the entrance and down to the lawn, worth knowing with a buggy
- Gospel Oak Overground station is the nearest stop, about a ten minute walk
- There's no online booking, so guest rinks need arranging directly with the club
Plan your visit
What months is it open?
April to September. Outside that window the green isn't running.
What are the opening hours?
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday it's 2:15pm to 6pm. Weekends it's 2:30pm to 6:30pm, and there's a Wednesday slot from 2:15pm in April to mid May.
Can we just turn up and book a rink for the kids?
You can book guest rinks for after school activities without being a member. There's no online booking link, so you'll need to arrange it directly with the club.
Is it accessible if we've got a buggy or a wheelchair?
There are steps up into the grounds and a step down to the lawn, which is a faff with a buggy. That said, the clubhouse itself is step-free, there's an accessible toilet you can arrange to use, and they've got a wheelchair adapted for the green.
Where do we park?
On-street parking on Highgate Road is metered from 10am to noon and free after that. Surrounding roads have free parking too.
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