The Victorian Society calls for urgent action to preserve Scarborough’s Bramcote Tennis Pavilion

The Victorian Society placed the former Bramcote Tennis Pavilion on its Top Ten Endangered Buildings list in May 2024, however, they say no action by its owners or North Yorkshire Council to repair or restore the Grade II listed building has taken place.

The building needs urgent works to preserve this historic structure that dates from the earliest days of the modern sport.

Recent storms have damaged the building to such a degree that the Victorian Society, the national amenity society for the Victorian and Edwardian period, local people and elected representatives are calling for immediate action to ensure the building is saved for this and future generations.

The Scarborough & District Civic Society has 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.

The Victorian Society added the building to its heritage at risk list last year.

Most recently, Coun Rich Maw has spoken out about residents’ and his own fears for the pavilion’s future.

Thomas Ollivier, Victorian Society Conservation Adviser, said: “The deterioration of the built environment is as unavoidable as the passage of time.

“Our buildings rely on us to survive and to be looked after.

“Often, smaller buildings are overlooked in favour of larger, more exciting projects.

“However, this would be to deny the most tangible aspects of our shared heritage; small buildings, like Bramcote Tennis Pavilion, offer us a unique and undeniable snapshot of past human experiences, of social issues, architectural fashions and day-to-day life of eras otherwise consigned to history books.

“Bramcote Tennis Pavilion, not only as a rare survival in the early days of lawn tennis, but with its original separate changing rooms and Tudor Revival Arts and Crafts design awards us a glimpse of late Victorian life that cannot be denied."

The Arts and Crafts veranda-style bungalow was once a lawn tennis pavilion, among the earliest structures for the modern sport internationally.

Dating back to the sport's inception in the 1860s-1870s, it holds significance in Scarborough's tennis history which included championship-level competitions.

It was commissioned for the North of England Lawn Tennis Club from local architect John Hall.

The Victorian Society is calling for the council to take decisive action to ensure the building is repaired as a matter of urgency.

They say that following a failed application to demolish the pavilion for housing, the owner, Scarborough College Company, invested heavily in a state-of-the-art athletics track immediately beside the pavilion.

“However, the pavilion, now fenced off, dilapidates, and awaits restoration, leaving its rich sporting legacy degrading despite the school’s assertion when applying for planning permission for the athletics track that the pavilion would be better appreciated by increased visitors to the grounds.

“The college seems to be missing a wonderful educational opportunity for its pupils,” the society added.

In response, North Yorkshire Council’s head of development management, Martin Grainger, said: “While we do not own the pavilion, we are aware of its condition and the desire for a positive outcome about its future.

“As a council, we have a responsibility to give regard to buildings of this nature in the public interest and so we are liaising with Historic England and will continue to do so.

“If working with the owners and our heritage partners does not provide a satisfactory outcome, as a last resort the council has statutory powers to secure the structural condition of Listed buildings.”

Scarborough College said: “The former tennis pavilion forms part of the land which is leased on a long-term basis to Bramcote Athletics Limited and therefore any queries should be directed to the company.

"We have informed the Victorian Society of this previously and, as far as we are aware, there has been no attempt made by them to speak with the company.”

Bramcote Athletics Limited has also been approached for comment.