Classic London bowling spot Rowans could face closure

Finsbury Park institution Rowans Tenpin Bowl, the bowling alley, bar, pool and karaoke venue, could potentially be under threat in re-development plans for the local area.

The public has been invited to have their say on the matter, and can reply to the proposal until December 19th. Don’t hang about.

Haringey Council’s outline for the works doesn’t explicitly state Rowans will be closed, bulldozed or razed to the ground. But it does have the aim of “bringing the land into more intensive use” and says existing sites may be replaced with “new and/or replacement leisure, culture and community uses.”

New homes are also planned for the fairly small area, with up to 190 of them squeezed into a block of buildings right by Finsbury Park station.

While the document’s says “public benefits” provided by Rowans must be “re-secured,” that wording doesn’t go as far as guaranteeing the bowling alley as we know it will still be there once the area has been re-developed.

Decades of fun

The Evening Standard has done a bit of digging on this one, to attempt to clear up matters.

“We know that Rowans is a much-loved local space for our community and there are no proposals to replace it,” councillor Sarah Williams told the publication.

“Should the owner of Rowans come forward at a future date with plans to redevelop the site, the Local Plan safeguards provision of community, culture and leisure facilities, including a bowling alley.”

Yep, what's going to be the state of affairs a couple of years down the road remains unclear.

Rowans Tenpin Bowl became something like the site we know today in 1989, before years spent as a cinema and — even earlier — a tram depot in the 1920s.

These days Rowans Tenpin Bowl offers 24 lanes of bowling, six karaoke booths, 14 pool tables and a bunch of arcade machines. It turns into a dancing spot on Friday and Saturday nights, when it’s open until 2:30am.

The charmingly retro entertainment palace comes with a £1 entry fee (£5 on Friday and Saturday nights) while a game of bowling starts at £8.10. If you fancy a visit, the Rowans Tenpin Bowl website lets you book slots online.

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