Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the City of Bath Pétanque Club has grown into a vibrant community of over 100 members, offering friendly play, coaching, competitions and international events for all ages. Long-standing members Cary Bush and Bryan Huish explain why it’s a magical game.
Founded in 2005 at Alexandra Park, the City of Bath Pétanque Club has grown to well over 100 members today and this year is celebrating its 20th birthday.
‘Boules’ and ‘pétanque’ are both used to describe the same game, ‘a form of lawn bowling played on rough ground using steel balls’. With its origins in France, the game is hardwired into communities there and village squares across the continent and is fast becoming a sport of choice in this country.
Explaining the game, long-standing member Cary Bush says, “One of the really interesting things about the game is that you never know who you are likely to play with. At most of our club sessions, you all throw your boule at the same time at the coche (the small coloured ball) and teams are allocated by the closeness of where each boule lands to the coche. This makes it very fair and inclusive and a wonderful chance to mix and socialise.”
Cary also describes the game as having a real community energy with both young and old players. The club welcomes players of all ages and levels, including social members. Like all sport, there are different levels of ability but the Club’s ethos of a strong sense of support means that everyone is encouraged to do the best they can.

Playing sessions
There are three regular sessions every week on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday open to all players of all levels. Tuesday and Saturday sessions are at Larkhall and Wednesdays are held at Queen Square, Bath. There are plans to add more sessions to meet member demand as the pistes are all-weather and flood-lit. Many of the longstanding members who play at Queen Square go for lunch after every Wednesday game, so you can build that into your day if you’d like to.
Coaching sessions
There are 10 skilled coaches, a number of whom represent the region and even national teams. They coach, teach the rules of the game and offer tips on how to improve your play.

Competitions and events
The Pétanque Club hosts a wide range of friendly competitions including singles, doubles and triples, with events running on evenings and weekends. New members are always helped to find partners or teams. The popular Monthly Melee, held on the first Saturday of each month, mixes players into random teams for a relaxed yet competitive morning of matches, open to all levels. The club also runs the Thursday Summer League, involving over 30 teams across the Bath area.
Beyond the local scene, members take part in regional and national leagues and enjoy regular UK tours to play other clubs. Overseas trips have included visits to Spain, France and the Channel Islands, with highlights such as a 300-player international tournament in Santa Susanna, near Barcelona. The Club is also proud to be part of the Friendship Games, a Europe-wide pétanque event promoting unity and fun. In 2024, the City of Bath hosted the tournament, and this year members head to Germany as part of the anniversary celebrations.

The Clubhouse at Larkhall
The safe and friendly Clubhouse is located on Charlcombe Lane (sharing facilities with Larkhall Football Club) where members can enjoy hot drinks, a licensed bar and a bite to eat in a friendly, relaxed environment. A tradition after the Summer League games is that the host team offer a serving of sausage and chips to the opposition after the matches.
The Club can host up to 120 players on its Larkhall pistes at any one time, although these are ideally set up to host 96 players. The Clubhouse is run entirely on a voluntary basis and this adds to the community spirit.
Most players aren’t easily put off by the weather – bring along a waterproof just in case; then you can brave the elements and enjoy a warm coffee and catch-up once the match is done.
Opportunities to get involved
City of Bath Pétanque Club is always looking for new members. “We would encourage anyone who enjoys outdoor activities and social interaction – it is most definitely for you!” says Cary.

During August the Club is planning open days and events for existing and new members and a large number of players will be attending the very special ‘Friendship Games’ in The Black Forest, Germany as part of the celebration.
The club encourages new players to give it a try, and after a couple of free trial sessions, most people find themselves hooked. When ready to join, you simply need to speak to one of the friendly Committee members, who will provide details of the quick online application process. To learn more, prospective members can visit the club’s website or go along to a weekly session, where they’ll be warmly welcomed.
Membership offers plenty of opportunities to take part in as many of the club’s activities as players wish.
“It’s a fun and friendly environment which can, of course, become more serious when a game is being played but most of the time it’s a real opportunity for a get-together where there’s lots of laughter and lasting friendships are formed. It’s such a heartwarming story, brought about because of 10 truly dedicated members who decided to offer this wonderful opportunity to other locals – and look what has been achieved!”
Here’s to the next 20 years…and beyond!
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Below right (right-hand figure) shows the late Don Grimes, whose passion and commitment helped drive the club forward, especially during its early year

