Geograph - photograph every grid square

Skittles on the Green appears to be unique to Thrussington. There are still pubs and clubs which have skittle alleys, either indoors or outdoors, but only at Thrussington can a skittle alley be found on a public space. In fact there are two alleys.

I found these two large slabs of concrete set into the grass of the Green, looking a bit scruffy round the edge, and I wondered what they were for. A careful look show that each slab has nine small metal rings inset into the surface, arranged in a diamond pattern, and skittles immediately came to mind. This was confirmed when I noticed that the two small slabs in line with the large ones have a toe slot (Chock hole) marking where the balls must be thrown from.

Thrussington's alleys are only used once a year, towards the end of June, but Skittles on the Green forms a major local festival, with teams from all round the locality competing for a cup. The earliest recorded winners were in 1961, and it seems likely that this was when the alleys were constructed.

The festival is run from the neighbouring Star Inn.