Our History
Beckenham Lawn Tennis Club is 136 years old and much indebted to the generous gift of time and expertise given by so many members over the years.
Beckenham Cricket Club was founded in early 1866 and is one of the oldest sporting venues in south-east England. But Lawn Tennis was not conceived at Foxgrove Road until November 1879.
From an original three grass courts, the section now boasts 18 courts – including six grass, four acrylic, three artificial clay and five macadams.
Maria Bueno, John Newcombe, Vijay Amritraj and Pam Shriver are famous Honorary Members.
Membership EnquiryClub Milestones
1866 Beckenham Cricket Club established (24 March)
1879 Beckenham Lawn Tennis Club established (17 November)
1880 Membership opened to female members (29 November)
1886 First Kent All-Comers’ Championships (1-5 June)
1890 Founder member of the Kent Lawn Tennis Association
1893 Main Clubhouse re-built, with more changing room space
1895 Original Pavilion beside three grass courts knocked down
1895 Beckenham Journal indicates there are 150 Lady tennis members
1895 Ladies and Men’s singles trophies first presented to club champions
1896 The Ladies’ Pavilion built for female members
1906 The Ladies’ Pavilion is glazed and made water tight
1920 First under-21 events held as part of Kent All-Comers’ Championships
1922 Davis Cup tie contested between India and Romania (19-20 June)
1928 Nursery extension completed on the side of The Ladies’ Pavilion
1932 First of regular annual warm-up matches held during Tennis Week for Wightman Cup ties
1940 Parachute mine lands on grass Court 11 & 12, rendering nearby Maywood House uninhabitable (18 November)
1946 Kent All-Comers’ Championships recommences after World War II
1963 Kent All-Comers’ Championships becomes Great Britain’s first sponsored tennis event (Rothmans)
1966 Beckenham Cricket Club centenary; new main clubhouse built (beginning August)
1968 Kent All-Comers’ Championships becomes world’s first Open Era grass-court event
1971 Kent All-Comers’ Championships saved from ending by Peter West & Associates Ltd. sponsorship
1975 Groundsman’s house construction work completed (first resident George Stoneham)
1977 First visit of Beckenham members to Rotterdam Tennis Club (R12), lasting 23 years
1977 Angela Hughes appointed as first female chairman of Beckenham Lawn Tennis Club
1979 Two macadam courts constructed (Courts 5-6), replacing grass courts
1980 Men’s first team crowned summer Kent County Champions, ending a 52-year wait for title
1984 Floodlights switched on for first time on two macadam courts (November)
1986 Centenary of Kent All-Comers’ Championships (Direct Line Insurance Beckenham Open)
1987 Trophy bar extension work completed in main clubhouse
1990 Two shale courts converted to macadam courts (Courts 8-10)
1991 One macadam court constructed (cage Court 7)
1996 101st and final Kent All-Comers’ Championships (Beckenham Open), ending due to lack of sponsor
1996 Renovation work begins on The Ladies’ Pavilion (February)
1996 First Beckenham Junior Open held (July) with Peugeot as title sponsor
1997 Four acrylic courts with floodlights constructed (September), replacing grass match courts (Courts 1-4)
1999 Ladies’ first team crowned summer Kent County Champions, ending a 52-wait for title
2001 Ladies first team crowned winter Kent County Champions, ending a 50-wait for title
2004 Beckenham Lawn Tennis Club celebrates 125th anniversary
2004 The Ladies’ Pavilion is renamed The Summer Pavilion (June)
2005 Attempts made to resurrect the Kent All-Comers’ Championships (January-June)
2009 The Kent County Junior Championships held (August)
2011 Three artificial clay courts constructed (May), replacing macadam courts (Courts 5-7)
2013 The Summer Pavilion is Grade II listed by English Heritage (March)
2014 Four acrylic courts surface re-skimmed (Courts 1-4)
2015 20th Beckenham Junior Open held (July) with AMOSCA as title sponsor
2016 Beckenham Cricket Club celebrates its 150th anniversary
View a list of Beckenham Cricket Club Presidents & Vice Presidents from the tennis section.