The New Club House
The Project, The Plan, The Progress, and it's Finished.
The Project
 The Bowmen of Danesfield have been at Danesfield CofE School in West Somerset for over 25 years.
They started as a small after-school archery club. Over time, it grew. Now the club welcomes people of all ages and abilities. Some are children trying their first bow. Others are experienced archers using recurve, barebow, compound, or longbows.
At first, the club made do with wooden sheds and one old shipping container. It was enough when the group was small. But as more people joined, the space became tight. Equipment had nowhere to go. There was no dedicated area for workshops or meetings. The club needed a proper space.
The plan was simple. Build a clubhouse that works for everyone. A space to store gear, hold training sessions, run workshops, and meet as a community—a place where archers could practice, learn, and take care of their equipment.
The Plan
The idea for the clubhouse started just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the next few years, the plan became clearer. Barry Iles came up with the original concept and led the project from start to finish.
The plan included a few main steps:
- Move the existing container to store outdoor range equipment.
- Add two new 20ft x 8ft shipping containers. Together, they would give 480 sq. ft. of usable space.
- Convert the containers into a functional clubhouse. This would include workshop areas, storage, desks and chairs, and sections for bows, arrows, and other archery equipment.
Approval was important. The club worked with Trudy Danby from the Beacon Education MAT Ltd, which manages Danesfield CofE School. Permission was sought from the Bath and Wells Diocese, which is the landowner.
The club had some funds, but not enough. They reached out to the HPC Somerset Community Foundation, which approved and provided £10,000 in matched funding. That made the project possible.
The Progress
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With approvals secured and funding confirmed, the Bowmen of Danesfield moved from plans on paper to boots on the ground. What had once been a long-held ambition was finally becoming reality. The excitement among members was tangible, but so too was the challenge ahead.
Because the club is based at Danesfield CofE School, every stage of construction had to be carefully planned to fit around school activities. Safety and minimal disruption were key priorities. That meant evenings, weekends, and school holidays became the working windows for most of the heavy lifting and site work.
Despite these restrictions, the determination of everyone involved ensured that progress never slowed.
Site Preparation
The first task was to prepare the site. Dan Mason from D-Veg took on the groundwork. The area needed to be cleared and levelled, ready to receive both the relocated and the new containers. The old ground surface was uneven and partially overgrown, so it took careful work to create a stable foundation capable of supporting several tonnes of steel. The finished base was smooth, compacted, and perfectly measured—ready for the next stage of the build.
Container Relocation
Once the site was ready, it was time to move the club’s original container, which had served faithfully for many years. This was no small task. KRG Transport arrived on site with a giant crane, a sight that drew a small crowd of intrigued onlookers from the school and the local community. With remarkable precision, the team lifted the container high over one of the school’s wooden buildings and swung it into its new resting place.
While on site, KRG also removed an old lorry unit that had long outlived its usefulness. Its removal cleared valuable space and marked the end of one chapter—and the beginning of another—for the club’s facilities.
New Container Installation
With the old unit safely relocated, attention turned to the delivery of the two brand-new 20ft x 8ft shipping containers that would become the core of the new clubhouse. They were supplied and installed by KRG Transport with a massive lorry and trailer; each container was manoeuvred into position with absolute care. Precision was crucial: the two units needed to sit perfectly aligned to allow for the next stage of conversion.
Once secured, the transformation work began. Ivan and Lawrence Sowden, both long-standing supporters of the club, set about cutting through the adjoining walls using heavy-duty metal-cutting equipment—a process requiring accuracy, patience, and a good deal of skill. The result was a single, open-plan interior, creating a spacious 320 sq. ft. area ready to be converted into a functional clubhouse. At this stage, they also cut an aperture at the rear to fit a safety door, ensuring the new structure met all necessary access and safety standards.
Interior Setup
With the main structure complete, the focus shifted to the interior. Dan Mason once again stepped in, this time to panel the walls. Over several days of steady work, he transformed bare steel into a warm, usable environment. His careful craftsmanship provided the perfect base for the next phase of fitting out the space.
Kevin King then took the lead on the interior build. His work included installing a suspended ceiling to improve insulation and lighting, building bespoke bow storage units, and crafting workbenches and workspace areas tailored specifically for archery maintenance and training. Every detail was considered—from efficient use of space to ensuring easy access to equipment.
Meanwhile, Lawrence from SKL Electrical provided the finishing touches with a professional electrical installation. Power sockets, LED lighting, and internal wiring were all completed to a high standard, ensuring the clubhouse would be bright, safe, and fully functional for day-to-day use.
And It's Finished
The new clubhouse is complete!
Along with the old container, now used for outdoor equipment, the space provides plenty of room for workshops, training, and meetings. Members have workbenches, storage, and desks for practicing, repairing, and preparing arrows.
The official opening was held at the club’s Summer BBQ. Steve Wild from the school cut the ribbon and said the school welcomes greater collaboration with the club. The Bowmen now engage about 100 staff and pupils from the school each year.
The club also takes part in local events, including the West Somerset Steam Rally, community fetes, and charity initiatives like Ups and Downs Southwest, a regional Down Syndrome Charity.
Members of the club say they are proud of the new clubhouse. It is more than a building. It is a space for archery practice, learning, and community. It is safe and functional for all ages. It will serve archers for years to come.
The project shows what can happen when a community works together. From the first idea to the final ribbon-cutting, the Bowmen of Danesfield have created a space that supports their sport and inspires the next generation of archers.
Thank You
Thank you must go to a wide range of individuals and companies that supported the project.
Special thanks go to the club committee and members, past and present, who diligently pursued and worked hard on the project.
Barry Iles, Kevin King, Sarah-Louise Darwin, Mark Amey, Mike Robbins, Rob Alexander, Steve Robertson, John Eastaugh, Ivan Sowden Sr and Jr, Lawrence Sowden, and Dan Mason. Our apologies to those we may have missed.
We could not have undertaken the project without the support and funding help from HPC Somerset Community Fund.
Beacon Education MAT Ltd, Danesfield CofE School, D-Veg, KRG Transport and SKL Electrical were also material in making this project happen.
THANK YOU ALL!
