At our new "HOME" grounds, you will find a wide range of Archery activities on offer. From club practice days, held alternate weeks at two different venues, to social and starter sessions. Our "AWAY" grounds, means at the Castle, itself. Only paid members can shoot at the Castle, due to insurance reasons but we tend to shoot once a week at the castle and on occasional weekends on our new woodland course (field shoot). Our Chairman, Terry Clarke, will take you around the field course, prior to your first competition , if you have only just started learning archery. There are various pegs which will determine which class you get entered into. Unlike other places, we offer you a chance to start on the Novice peg and work your way up. You can work your way up by suggesting to us that you are ready to do so, qualifying in your previous competition, or having some extra coaching when you need it. Some people will move up faster than others, due to the amount of practice they do, and some may ask to stay down in a lower class, for health or insecurity reasons. You only move up, when you AND the Chairman are happy for you to do so.
Our occasional weekend archery competitions are a lot of fun. If here on a Friday, you'll get the chance to set up camp and try your hand at the target shooting. There is no hard and fast rules and the best archers can still loose! There is a variety of scoring methods, including reverse scoring and no one knows what that scoring system will be until after they have shot! On a Saturday the field course is in operation, a challenge to satisfy most and varying distances and unusual targets, usually a food run is organized for the evening, to save you from cooking, unless you want too. On a Sunday, there is often a clout - which means you get to shoot at different distances from different pegs in the areas. Two hours of this is usually enough for most, so whilst tea and coffee is being served the scores are totted up for a prize giving, leaving you free to go again or pack up and get home in time for a relaxing afternoon!
Barbeques are often the order of the day during the summer practice sessions. Once you have joined, and we have your mobile number, a text can be sent out on a Sunday morning suggesting a Barbeque. If you are in agreement of this, members tend to bring something along to cook on the barbeque at the club house, after shooting - and if the weathers really nice, it's not unusual to break for food and then continue to shoot later!