In 1946 some members of staff at Bexley Hospital went to the Management with an idea to lay a bowling green as a form of therapy for the patients and to give them an interest in which they and the hospital staff could get involved. It would also provide a way to relax for the patients on weekdays and the staff on Saturday afternoons.

This was agreed, and the Kent County Bowling Association was contacted. They became involved in the planning of the project, but most of the work was carried out by the patients with the assistance of the staff.

One of the first considerations when constructing a bowling green is the drainage. Fortunately that didn’t present a problem here as the hospital had a boiler house containing tons of clinker that needed to be disposed of.

Firstly, this clinker was laid, followed by a layer of sand, then one of peat and finally the green was topped with Cumberland turf. The banks around the green were also topped with Cumberland turf, the idea being that this could be used to repair any damage to the actual green if necessary.

However, over the years, various green keepers have been responsible for the upkeep of the green and have obtained grass seed from different suppliers. Unfortunately, this has resulted in very little of the Cumberland turf remaining today. After the green had been completed, it was then left to settle for three years before it was played on. In 1949 Bexley Hospital Bowls Club was formed.