The town of Bishop’s Castle has had a Tennis Club since the early 1900’s and its Lawn Tennis Club had existed at least since July 1919 when it shared use of 3 High School tennis courts which were located on a field adjacent to the church on Brampton Road.

Circa 1908

Image details:-Bishop’s Castle Tennis Club was originally based in the vicinity of the Primary School and Oak Meadow.  On the right of the image above, it is possible to see the court nets and beyond, the Workhouse which was only demolished in 1964 when the current hospital was built in its place.

Circa 1910

Circa 1911

Circa 1920

Circa 1920's

However, it wasn’t until 7th October 1923 that a formal agreement was negotiated between Bishop’s Castle Lawn Tennis Club and Shropshire County Council to lease that part of the field containing the 3 courts and a pavilion for £7.10 shillings per year.  This site now forms part of the churchyard.

In April of the following year (1924), the Club bought 9/10ths of an acre of land near the Love Lane railway Bridge (the present site) for £110 from Nathaniel Gwilt, a retired farmer of Pentre, Churchstoke.  6 joint owners acted on behalf of the Club.  The land was bounded by the A488, the railway line and wasteland which was owned by Bishop’s Castle Railway Co. Ltd.

Circa 1929

Image details:- Bishop's Castle WI Tennis Club in 1929 - Bishop’s Castle Women’s Institute and their friends built a tennis court on land between Edward’s garage (behind the Spar) and the playing fields and ran a successful mixed club for several years.

Six members acted on behalf of the Club and were described as the ‘vendors’ when in 1947, the Club asked for the grounds to be vested in the Bishop’s Castle Corporation to avoid the appointment of trustees.  This transaction took place although it was said that there was no expense to the corporation.  The freehold was vested in the corporation, which held the deeds but promised that the land was for the sole use of the Club with no interference.

In 1985 planning permission was granted for the land adjoining the tennis club to be used as additional courts.  The Club appointed 4 trustees and the land was sold to the Club by William Donald Sykes for £421.50.

In 1987, Bishop’s Castle Town Council who had taken over from the Corporation passed the original land back to the Club and formally appointed the club trustees to also be trustees of the original land.