About Us
Noted for its industrial past, Merthyr was known as the 'Iron Capital of the World' in the early 19th century, due to the scale of its iron production. The world's first steam-powered railway journey happened in Merthyr in 1804, travelling 9 mi (14 km) from the ironworks at Penydarren to the Glamorganshire Canal on the Merthyr Tramroad.
The 1851 census found Wales to be the world's first industrialised nation, as more people were employed in industry than agriculture, with Merthyr the biggest town in Wales at that time.
Merthyr Tydfil Lawn Tennis Club, established in 1978, and is one of very few clubs left nessled in the South Wales Valleys. Situated in the heart of Valleys overlooking the splendid green flag park of Thomastown Park on Queen Road whereby multiple ex Welsh Internationals have represented the club in yeras gone by.
History
For many years, the club was a fulcrum of social activity in Penarth, and you often hear how “anyone who was anyone was a member” of the club in the 1950s and 1960s. The club’s grass courts were used by the Welsh Lawn Tennis Association for the annual Welsh Junior Championships until the late 1970’s, which saw the entire tennis playing population of Wales descend on the club for one week every summer.
The tarmac courts declined with a few hot summers and the increasing costs of maintenance and were not used for much between 2010-2018 however the club since then has seena revival in recent years with a growth in membership and a growing socia scene.
Reinvigoration of the club began in the late 1970’s, when a committed group of members began to make plans for its transformation, the group can be seen in the picture below taken in 1979 with a view to re-establishing it to something resembling its former glory.
The achievements over the past decade have been impressive and the journey was completed in 2024 with the recent renovation works of the 3 tarmac courts, installation of state of the art LED floodlights on all 3 courts and a modern electric gate access system whereby members of the public can now simply book a court online, receive a court and enter the courts at their leisure, and the floodlights being automatically linked to come on at sundown.
