Woodmen of Arden

The society was founded by Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Aylesford and five other men at the Bulls Head coaching inn in the village of Meriden in 1758.

The society practices clout archery according to the regulations of Finsbury Fields from 1590, and employ target distances prescribed in statute - in this case the Unlawful Games Act 1541, which mandated shooting no less than 180 yards.

In 1818 Wriothesley Digby, the Secretary of the society, donated a gold medal, the 'Optime merenti', for the greatest number of hits at 100 yards during the August meeting.

In 1887 the Royal Company of Archers of Scotland presented a silver bowl as a challenge price for clout shooting.

[8] Membership is largely drawn from the old aristocratic and gentry families of the region, such as the Digbys of Coleshill, Greswoldes of Solihull, and the Barons of Norton.