The Victorian Society has called for immediate action to save a rare Victorian tennis pavilion in Scarborough.
The former Bramcote Tennis Pavilion, a Grade II listed building, is in a state of disrepair despite being placed on the Society's Top Ten Endangered Buildings list in May 2024.
The Victorian Society, along with local people and local councillors, are urging the building's owners and the Council to take action to preserve the historic structure which dates from the early days of the modern sport.
Thomas Ollivier is the Northern Conservation Advisor at the Victorian Society, he says the building is being overlooked.
The Victorian Society has written to North Yorkshire Council, urging them to take "decisive action" to repair the building, "up to and including compulsory purchase".
The Scarborough & District Civic Society has also been vocal in its concern for the building and is keen to see it restored, having succeeded in getting the building listed at Grade II. Councillor Rich Maw has also expressed concern for the pavilion's future.
Thomas says there are reports that the building has sufferd damage in this winter's storms, he says it's in a dire state and unliklely to survive another ten years without preservation work.
Thomas Ollivier, says that "the deterioration of the built environment is as unavoidable as the passage of time" but that "our buildings rely on us to survive and to be looked after," adding that "smaller buildings are overlooked in favour of larger, more exciting projects".
He argues that buildings like the Bramcote Tennis Pavilion offer "a unique and undeniable snapshot of past human experiences".
He describes the pavilion as a rare survival from the early days of lawn tennis, with its original separate changing rooms and Tudor Revival Arts and Crafts design.
The pavilion dates back to the 1860s-1870s and was commissioned for the North of England Lawn Tennis Club by local architect John Hall. It is significant as one of the earliest structures for modern tennis internationally, and Scarborough played an important role in the sport's history, hosting championship-level competitions. The building's changing rooms for both sexes are a significant social aspect of the sport, showing that women were playing early in the game's history.
Scarborough College, the current owner of the pavilion, invested in an athletics track next to the site after a failed application to demolish the pavilion. However, the pavilion has been fenced off and is deteriorating, despite the school’s assertion that the pavilion would be better appreciated by increased visitors to the grounds.
The Victorian Society believes that the College is missing an opportunity to use this "extraordinary piece of local, national and international sporting history" for educational purposes.
Thomas says that The Victorian Society has placed it on their top 10 endangered buildings list.
Thomas says that there is "a lot of local love for the building".
The Victorian Society say:
"The College seems to be missing a wonderful educational opportunity for its pupils.
It has in its grounds and under its care an extraordinary piece of local, national and international sporting history. For all the opportunities the building represents, the bottom line is that the badly deteriorating fabric of the pavilion needs as a matter of urgency to be addressed.
The Council must take decisive action to ensure that the building is repaired."
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