Our History…

The Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre has one ethos — to create education through sport in the Axminster community. The Committee of Trustees includes representatives of the Cloakham member clubs of Axminster Town Cricket Club, Millwey Rise AFC, The Sports Bar, Axminster Outdoor Bowls Club, and LED “The Hangar” Gym.

Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre was established in 1988, thanks to a generous 30-year lease offer from Axminster Carpets for the land at Cloakham Lawn — we registered as a charity, Axminster Town Cricket Club moved from North Street, and the main sports centre building was constructed to include Indoor Bowl Rinks, The Sports Bar, and changing rooms.

From 1999 through to 2006, we expanded on our developments and constructed the outdoor bowls rink, a multi-use games area, practice cricket nets. During this time, in 2005, Axminster Carpets extended their lease to include Harry’s Field which became a second cricket field.

In 2007, Axminster Skate Park was opened with peppercorn rent payable to Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre.

 In 2010, Millwey Rise AFC relocated to Harry’s Field at Cloakham Lawn following the creation of two football pitches, sharing the ground with Axminster Town Cricket Club’s 3rd and 4th teams. In the following months, Axminster Town Cricket Club’s 3rd and 4th teams disbanded which allowed for the creation of a youth football pitch to be created on Harry’s Field.

In 2011, a planning application was submitted by Axminster Carpets for the construction of the Cloakham Lawn housing estate, with a caveat of a 90-year lease for Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre.

In 2012, the multi-use games area, constructed back in 1999, was damaged by floods and rendered unable to be used.

In 2021, Bovis handed the lease of the Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre site to the Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre charity. This was shortly followed by the site experiencing damage from the blockage from storm flooding at the Millbrook Roundabout being released which unfortunately sent a deluge of water, mud, and debris towards the River Axe which went on to damage the Outdoor Bowls rink and clubhouse, the cricket club’s mobile and training nets, and the bottom end of the Indoor Bowls Club.

Between 2021 and 2023, the charity’s status changed to being a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in July 2022, the new Axminster Skate Park began construction following Cloakham Lawn’s donation of the land to East Devon District Council, and the Board of Trustees made the difficult decision to convert the Indoor Bowls into a fitness centre; with the lease being awarded to LED Community Leisure.

From 2023 and into the future, the modernisation and upgrade of the Sports Centre’s facilities has seen new bathrooms, new changing rooms, enhanced CCTV security, new windows & doors, two new skittle alleys, decorating, roof repairs, and much more! Looking into the future, the Sports Bar venue will be having a complete makeover; with new carpets and tables to be installed, the accessible bathroom being upgraded, and the interior being re-decorated.