History and Heritage
History of Bowls
A form of bowls was played in ancient Egypt, and by the Middle Ages the game was well known in continental Europe. The International Bowling Board, the ruling body of lawn bowls, was founded in 1905. National Bowling Associations were established in the late 1800s. The Scottish Bowling Association was established in 1892, and today the sport is played in over 40 countries with more than 50 member national authorities. The home of the modern game is still Scotland with the World Bowls centre in Edinburgh at Caledonia House,1 Redheughs Rigg, South Gyle, Edinburgh, EH12 9DQ.
Valleyfield Heritage
Valleyfield consists of High Valleyfield and Low Valleyfield which are neighbouring villages in Fife, Scotland, midway between Dunfermline and Kincardine-on-Forth. Low Valleyfield is on the shore of the Firth of Forth, High Valleyfield on the ridge immediately to the north. High Valleyfield was a 20th century coal mining town linked to the nearby Valleyfield Colliery and the colliery operated from 1908 until 1978. The workings at Valleyfield connected to those at Longannet coal mine to the west, and under the river Forth to those at Bo’ness on the south bank of the river opposite. The population of High Valleyfield was 2,110 in the 2011 Census. Public housing was built for mine workers and social and council housing are the norm in this type of small town. Manufacturing and construction are the dominant forms of employment. Health and social work services are particularly active. There is a higher level of unemployment. Educational attainment is low. Car ownership is low, meaning that many residents in these towns are reliant on public transport. Today some new private housing has been built. High Valleyfield is a dependent town, and High Valleyfield and Oakley North, feature in the top 10% of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Low Valleyfield at 15%, with Oakley East and Comrie East in the top 20%.The main issues are the need for more affordable & social housing, along with the difficulty of transport connecting the villages.
The High Valleyfield bowling club was opened in 1959. It’s initial membership was predominantly miners from the local colliery. It served a valuable purpose as a social forum for the mining community in the local area, and also provided participation in competitive sport, a means of relaxation, and a welcome interlude from the very hard and intense conditions of a coal mine.
