Rare Victorian tennis pavilion in Scarborough placed on national Endangered Buildings list 2024

With Wimbledon just round the corner, an appeal has gone out to restore a building that harks back to the earliest days of lawn tennis.

Diminutive Bramcote Tennis Pavilion in Scarborough has been listed on The Victorian Society’s (VS) Top Ten Endangered Buildings list 2024.

The society says the Arts and Crafts veranda-style bungalow, which was built in 1885, just a decade after the sport was introduced to the All England Club in Wimbledon, needs urgent preservation.

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Following concerns that the building could be demolished, it was given a Grade II listing in 2017, with Historic England describing it as "a very early and rare surviving purpose-built lawn tennis pavilion...one of the earliest surviving lawn tennis buildings in the world."

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Undated handout photo issued by the Victorian Society of former Bramcote Tennis Pavilion in North Yorkshire, which has been ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings by the charity dedicated to their preservation. The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue, was described as "terrifying" by the society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones. Issue date: Wednesday May 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story HERITAGE Victorian. Photo credit should read: Robert Walton/Victorian Society/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY MAY 29

Undated handout photo issued by the Victorian Society of former Bramcote Tennis Pavilion in North Yorkshire, which has been ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings by the charity dedicated to their preservation. The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue, was described as "terrifying" by the society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones. Issue date: Wednesday May 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story HERITAGE Victorian. Photo credit should read: Robert Walton/Victorian Society/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY MAY 29 Undated handout photo issued by the Victorian Society of former Bramcote Tennis Pavilion in North Yorkshire, which has been ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings by the charity dedicated to their preservation. The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue, was described as "terrifying" by the society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones. Issue date: Wednesday May 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story HERITAGE Victorian. Photo credit should read: Robert Walton/Victorian Society/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

The government’s heritage adviser said the building, which had women's and men's changing rooms, was of special interest because of its "complex design, its intricate roof and its half-timbered, principal elevation, producing a charming building of considerable visual appeal".

Scarborough & District Civic Society is keen to see it restored. Member Christine Perry said: "I've lived in Scarborough for 22 years and it looks more or less the same as when I first came.

"One of our members drew up plans to convert it into a home. It is possible but somebody needs the money and enthusiasm to do it.

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"A lot of purpose-built sports buildings have already been lost through demolition or converted into something else. To have a purpose built tennis pavilion from that era is getting a little bit rare."

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Undated handout photo issued by the Victorian Society of Kennington Boys' School in London, which has been ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings by the charity dedicated to their preservation. The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue, was described as "terrifying" by the society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones. Issue date: Wednesday May 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story HERITAGE Victorian. Photo credit should read: Connor McNeill/Victorian Society/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY MAY 29

Undated handout photo issued by the Victorian Society of Kennington Boys' School in London, which has been ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings by the charity dedicated to their preservation. The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue, was described as "terrifying" by the society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones. Issue date: Wednesday May 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story HERITAGE Victorian. Photo credit should read: Connor McNeill/Victorian Society/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY MAY 29 Undated handout photo issued by the Victorian Society of Kennington Boys' School in London, which has been ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings by the charity dedicated to their preservation. The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue, was described as "terrifying" by the society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones. Issue date: Wednesday May 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story HERITAGE Victorian. Photo credit should read: Connor McNeill/Victorian Society/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

VS president Griff Rhys Jones said “How can we not find a proper new use for this elegant testament to the history of tennis? Like all good old buildings, it is an education in itself. It has a story. It teaches continuity. Local achievement. And fun history."

The pavilion has been leased on a long-term basis, along with a new athletics track, by landowner Scarborough College to Bramcote Athletics Ltd, which invested more than £1m into the eight-lane track and other facilities, which opened last year.

Director Richard Guthrie said the comments made by the VS were "frustrating". He said: "From what I understand it has been in a dilapidated state for many years. In more recent times the site has been tidied up significantly.

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"As far as I'm aware nobody from the VS has been bothered to come up to Scarborough to actually look at the building and see it in its context.

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Undated handout photo issued by the Victorian Society of Jesmond Dene Banqueting Hall was built by John Dobson in 1860 and subsequently expanded with a gatehouse, reception hall and display room by Norman Shaw in the following decade has been ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings by the charity dedicated to their preservation. The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue, was described as "terrifying" by the society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones. Issue date: Wednesday May 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story HERITAGE Victorian. Photo credit should read: Guy Newton/Victorian Society/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY MAY 29

Undated handout photo issued by the Victorian Society of Jesmond Dene Banqueting Hall was built by John Dobson in 1860 and subsequently expanded with a gatehouse, reception hall and display room by Norman Shaw in the following decade has been ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings by the charity dedicated to their preservation. The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue, was described as "terrifying" by the society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones. Issue date: Wednesday May 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story HERITAGE Victorian. Photo credit should read: Guy Newton/Victorian Society/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY MAY 29 Undated handout photo issued by the Victorian Society of Jesmond Dene Banqueting Hall was built by John Dobson in 1860 and subsequently expanded with a gatehouse, reception hall and display room by Norman Shaw in the following decade has been ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings by the charity dedicated to their preservation. The Victorian Society's annual top 10 list of buildings and structures in need of rescue, was described as "terrifying" by the society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones. Issue date: Wednesday May 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story HERITAGE Victorian. Photo credit should read: Guy Newton/Victorian Society/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

"It is somewhat frustrating to put a lot of time, energy and money into a project for sincere community purposes only for parties to find a negative angle to press!

"I have every hope and expectation that in the near to medium term we can raise the right capital to refurbish the building and use it once again for the purpose of sport."

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