With the British tennis events concluding at Wimbledon’s All England Club this week, we take a look at some of the main tennis club events in the UK, their history and the properties that can be found in the surrounding areas.
The Queens Club, Image by Benjamin Liebald, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
West Kensington – Queens Club
The Queen’s Club, named after Queen Victoria, was established in 1886 and was the first multipurpose sports complex to be built in the world.
The President’s Room is the most impressive room within the Victorian clubhouse building. The room was refurbished in 2009 and has beautiful casement windows and French doors which open out onto a balcony with views of the tennis courts.
The club is home to the Aegon Championships, an annual event on the men’s professional ATP World Tour. The Aegon Championships were originally known as the London Grass Court Championships and were established in 1890. The event is held every June as part of the approach to Wimbledon and one week after the French Open.
Located in West Kensington, near Baron’s Court Underground, the Queen’s Club is surrounded by terraced period properties with timber sash windows.
Hurlingham Club, image by HerewardL available under CC BY 2.0 DEED.
Fulham – Hurlingham Club
In 1760 Dr William Cadogan (1711-1797), a famous physician of his day, leased nine acres from the then Bishop on which he built a ‘cottage’ – now the core of the present Hurlingham House.
In 1797 the lease was re-granted to John Ellis (1757-1832). Mr Ellis employed the architect George Byfield to enlarge the ‘cottage’ into a neoclassic mansion. The Georgian mansion, which is grade I listed, still stands today, boasting several large timber sash windows and timber French doors.
Tennis was introduced in Hurlingham Club in 1877, although the club only began hosting the Aspall Tennis Classic match 23 years ago. The event takes place the week before Wimbledon after the Aegon Championships.
The Hurlingham Club is located in Fulham, near Putney Bridge Underground, home to a variety of period properties, including numerous Victorian and Edwardian properties.
All England Club, image by Spiralz from England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Wimbledon – All England Club
The Wimbledon Championships started in 1877 with the Gentlemen’s Singles competition. In 1884, the Ladies’ Singles and Gentlemen’s Doubles competitions were added. Ladies’ Doubles and Mixed Doubles events were then added in 1913. However, until 1922, the reigning champion only had to play in the final, against whoever had won through to challenge him/her.
As the name suggests, The Millennium Building at the All England Club was built for the millennium in 2000 to provide better facilities for players, staff, members and journalists.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is located in Wimbledon, by Wimbledon Park. The area is home to multiple timber casement windows and Georgian sash windows.
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