Wetherby Castlegarth Tennis Club
Club History
1904 to present day
In 1893 an agreement was signed between Mr Montague of Ingmanthorpe Hall and the Wetherby District Council, relating to the land on which the club now stands. This land was called "Low Field" or "Mill Field". The council agreed to pay one pound on the sixth of April each year in consideration of a sewer laid by them through this field.
In 1898, this meadow or pastureland consisting of 1.328 acres was let to a Mr Coates for £6 a year. In 1904, the field was purchased for £140 at an Auction Sale held in The Brunswick Hotel at Wetherby by; Mr Coates, Mr F Hoole, Mr J Hoole, Dr Hargreaves, Mr Heap and Mr Wilson. These six men formed themselves as trustees for a certain club called "The Castle Garth Lawn Tennis Club" and framed rules and regulations for the management of the club laying down that in the event of the premises being no longer required, or for want of adequate support, it shall be lawful for the Trustees to sell the land or alter or extend the objects or nature of the said club or may change the title. These arrangements were contained in a Trust Deed dated 1st October 1904 which set out the legal framework for the club and which still applies today.
Originally, four grass courts and a pavilion
were situated along a charming length of the bank of the River
Wharfe above the Mill Weir and
In 1904 there is a record that Mr Noble of Paradise Nursery, Boston Spa, tendered an estimate to make a new croquet ground for the sum of £28, as at the time, Croquet was very popular.
In 1975
Castlegarth Lawn Tennis Club (as it was then known), reached an
agreement with two members who constructed a clubhouse in return
for a lease on land on which to build two squash courts.
In 1998, with the aid of a lottery grant for £11,363, floodlighting was erectedon two courts, to enable members to play tennis into the evening.
The squash
courts were purchased by Caddick Group plc in 2002, who
demolished them and built their Head Office on the site, as well
as reconstructing the clubhouse, adding an upper story to it,
complete with a viewing balcony. The interior was fully
modernised and a brand new members function room created. The
work was completed in May 2005 and the new clubhouse was formally
opened by Harry Gration on Saturday May 14th 2005.
The installation of floodlights on the remaining three courts was completed in January 2010. The project was funded by the club and a grant from the Lawn Tennis Association. A formal switch-on of the new lights took place on Saturday 27th February 2010, attended by Liz Wilson, president of Yorkshire LTA and the deputy mayor of Wetherby, Councillor Cindy Bentley.
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