Our Archery Club – Experience Archery Bowmen
Archery Club Shooting
We meet regularly three times a week on Monday and Friday evenings, and Sunday afternoon at our great indoor venue in Archway North London. The sessions are open to beginners who have completed a five week course with us and experienced archers who are members of Archery GB either direct or through another club. We aim to have an open, friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
The sessions run from 6:00pm – 7:30pm & 7:30pm – 9:00pm on Monday and Friday evenings, and 1:00pm – 2:30pm & 2:30pm – 4:00pm on Sundays. During the spring and summer months we also have outdoor shooting on Saturdays in Walthamstow. To maximise shooting time, everyone is expected to help set up and pack away at the start and end of the sessions.
Cost
The cost for shooting on these club sessions is £8.40 for adults and £6.40 for juniors if you have your own equipment and £10.40 or £8.40 if you are using our equipment.
About us
Experience Archery was founded in 2009 as there was a shortage of year round indoor shooting opportunities for children and adults in London. Originally starting with just one night shooting per week, we have grown over the years, now offering indoor shooting throughout the year three times per week for adults and twice per week for children. We also have outdoor shooting once per week in the spring and summer. As yet we are not a full Archery GB club, but we act much like one and all our coaches are current Archery GB Level 1 or Level 2 Coaches.
Improver lessons
Are you looking to take your shooting to the next level, or have a particular issue you want to work on. Contact Lee for more info.
For more info
Email: lee@experiencearchery.com
Tel: 07961870170
COVID-19 SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF TAKING PART IN ARCHERY SESSIONS AT CAXTON HOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE
Our Main Indoor Venue:
Caxton House
129 St John’s Way
Archway
London
N19 3RQ
This venue is about 5 minutes walk from Archway tube station, and approximately 12 mins walk from Crouch Hill overground station. Buses 41, and 210 also run along St Johns Way.
Public Transport:
Tube: Archway (Northern Line)
Overground: Crouch Hill
Buses to the area: 4, 17, 41, 43, 134, 143, 210, 263, 271, 390, C11, W5
Our Main Outdoor Venue:
Sir George Monoux College
190 Chingford Road
Walthamstow
London
E17 5AA
This venue is about 15 minutes walk from Walthamstow Central underground and overground station. Buses 97, 215 and 357 also run along Chingford Road.
Public Transport:
Tube: Walthamstow Central (Victoria Line)
Overground: Walthamstow Central
Buses to the area: 97, 158, 215, 357, W16
Parking: There is plenty of parking on site
Classification Badge Scheme
We encourage our club archers to shoot scoring rounds from time to time so as to gain an indoor classification (Think of it a bit like grading belts in martial arts, a way to show and encourage progression) an archer must shoot three qualifying rounds of the appropriate score for the award being claimed during one calendar year. The indoor classification badges and Portsmouth badges are a great incentive and also a nice way for archers to continue to challenge themselves and mark milestones.
Hopefully you can fill your quiver with improvement badges like the one pictured.
Indoor Award Badges
Experience Archery is extending the official indoor classifications of Recurve and Compound to also include Barebow and Longbow archers for Portsmouth scores as set out in the table below. The table shows the minimum scores that need to be achieved for each Classification in a Portsmouth round. There are no separate classifications for juniors shooting indoors.
Portsmouth Award Badges
These improvement badges are available by shooting a Portsmouth round (60 arrows shot in ends of 3 arrows on a 60cm target face at 20 yards). You are allowed two ends of sighters (total of 6 arrows) before commencing to score the round. This is probably the most popular indoor round shot in the UK. The badges are available in 25 point increments from 350 up to 575, then in 5 point increments from 575 up to 600.
Badges will be given out on receipt of a score sheet that has all sections completed and is signed by the archer shooting the round and also witnessed by another archer (Please make it clear on the score sheet that you are claiming a Portsmouth badge). Unlike the Classification Awards you only need to make the Portsmouth score once in order to obtain the appropriate badge!
Other Scoring Rounds
Archers can also claim Indoor classification award badges by shooting other rounds too, for instance: Bray I, Worcester, WA 18m and Vegas (Any scoring round can be submitted to claim an award as long as you have three qualifying scores for the award claimed).
Please ensure that all completed score sheets are signed by yourself and witnessed by another archer. Then place them in the lockers in the equipment cupboard.
Indoor scoring rounds: Indoor Scoring Rounds Explained
More info on scores needed to achieve awards here: Indoor Classification Rounds
Outdoor 252 Awards
For outdoor shooting we require our archers to start at 20 yards or below. Once they are confident enough they can shoot a 252 scoring round (3 dozen arrows on a 122cm target face using 5 zone scoring I.e. Gold 9 points, Red 7 points etc). When you achieve a score of 252 or higher you can then claim the badge for that distance. You will then be eligible to progress on to the next distance, working your way up collecting badges at 30 yards, 40 yards, 50 yards etc. Please note that the 252 score is relevant to Recurve archers only, for Barebow, Compound and Longbow archers the scores that need to be achieved are different.
See table below:
Competition Results & Entry Forms
We run a fun Portsmouth competition once a year at the end of March. The Experience Archery Bowmen & Caxton House Portsmouth Competition will be back on Sun 22nd March 2020.
We have three sessions over the day. Session A starts at 10:00am, Session B starts at 12:45pm and Session C starts at 3:30pm. This completely unique fun Portsmouth competition; has sighted recurve, barebow and traditional wooden bows *(Any traditional style wooden bow with wooden arrows shot off the hand or shelf, no attached rests or sights on the bow).
We have unique handmade trophies for our three main categories and medals/cash prizes. Please Note: Everyone, man, woman and child will be competing against each other in our three bow category to win the trophy and cash prizes. (Juniors aged 16yrs & under & 1st year archer awards subject to entries).
Recurve Barebow Traditional
1st Prize £40 1st Prize £30 1st Prize £30
2nd Prize £20 2nd Prize £10 2nd Prize £10
3rd Prize £10
Entry Form: EA Bowmen & Caxton House Portsmouth Sun 22nd March 2020
We also have the Ironman Competition
This is an award for the combined score achieved by archers shooting all three bow disciplines over the three sessions in the day. Are you up for the challenge!?
Last year’s Competition
A big thank you to everyone who came along to our 7th Indoor Portsmouth Competition on Sunday 24th March 2019. The competition was a great success and we had an amazing turnout with over 60 archers from 17 different clubs from as far afield as Edinburgh, Leicester and Northampton shooting over 3 sessions competing in our unique competition with 3 bow categories: Recurve, Barebow, and Traditional to win one of our great handmade trophies and cash prizes (there was no male or female category just all archers shooting against each other over 20yds).
A big congratulations to this year’s competition winners who took home the trophies, medals and cash prizes we hope to welcome you back again next year:
1st Place Recurve: Antony Wood (CMO Bowmen)
1st Place Barebow: Tommy Kinsella (Aquarius AC)
1st Place Traditional: Roger Spellane (Aquarius AC)
1st Place Ironman: Tommy Kinsella (Aquarius AC)
1st Place Recurve Novice: Bernice Tan (ULAC)
1st Place Barebow Novice: Yana Usherenko-Fialkova (Experience Archery Bowmen)
1st Place Junior Recurve: Sami Musham (Hampstead Bowmen)
1st Place Junior Barebow: Amelia Chumber (West Essex Bowmen)
A big thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this a great addition to the competition calendar.
Past Results
2019 Portsmouth Competition Results
2018 Portsmouth Competition Results
2017 Portsmouth Competition Results
2016 Portsmouth Competition Results
Book a Have a Go Archery Lesson
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Our Coaches
Leander Pittis
Founded Experience Archery in 2009 as there was a shortage of year round indoor shooting opportunities for children and adults in London. He is an Archery GB level 2 Coach and also a NCF Crossbow instructor. He has been coaching for over 10 years and shooting Olympic recurve for nearly 14 years. Leander has won numerous local and county competitions including Middlesex and Bedfordshire indoor championships. He started his archery journey while working as an actor and has used his shooting skills in various films, adverts and promotional events. Leander coaches more than shoots these days and enjoys teaching beginners as well as working with more experienced archers.
Phil Darkin
Is an Archery GB level 1 Session Coach. Phil mainly shoots Barebow recurve, but also shoots a traditional Flat Bow too. He shoots target and field archery at his club in south London but enjoys sharing his knowledge running beginner courses, have a go taster sessions and parties for children and adults with Experience Archery.
Kevin Wong
Is an Archery GB level 1 Coach who has been shooting Olympic recurve for over 7 years. He taught himself bow tuning and various shooting techniques. He has been successful in local competitions and also represented Middlesex in inter-county team competitions. As well as coaching at Experience Archery he also works at an Archery Shop and is a member of another local archery club where he coaches regularly and runs their kids club too. Kevin is very proud to have won their club championships twice. He is always happy to help other archers and hopes to pass on the skills and knowledge he’s learnt to help you succeed in your shooting journey too.
Elitsa Gateva
Is an Archery GB level 2 coach who started her archery journey in Bulgaria over 17 years ago. She competed regularly as a junior, winning many individual and team awards shooting recurve. She also later took up shooting compound and trained at the National Sports Academy in her home country, graduating with a degree in Archery coaching, PE and sports management. During her time studying she regularly coached at her local club and since moving to the UK has been coaching with Experience Archery. She looks forward to passing on her expertise and experience to beginners.
Caxton House
Caxton House
129 St John’s Way
London
N19 3RQ
Our Main Venue
- Our venue is about 5 mins walk from Archway tube station
- Nearest Tube Station: Archway
- Buses 41 and 210 run along St Johns Way