A TENNIS court has been completely refurbished costing nearly £30,000 following a successful project.

Crosthwaite and Lyth Tennis Club had not resurfaced the court or undertaken maintenance of the netting or gates for around 15 years.

By 2021, the playing surface had become increasingly difficult to sweep and clean the leaves and moss off, and by 2022 there were substantial areas which were gritty and pitted.

This made the court slippery and unsafe to play when conditions were not perfectly dry, and resulted in balls bouncing imperfectly at times.

As a result, the Tennis Club took action and achieved grants from external bodies totalling £14,500 in a project that was seen as a community-enhancing endeavour.

The project was completed in June 2023 after £5,000 was committed from the local Landowners organisation, Crosthwaite and Lyth Recreation Field Trust and from the Tennis Club cash reserves.

In addition, there were grants from the Holehird Trust and the Thomas Graham & Sons Grassroots Fund, as well as grants awarded by Frieda Scott Charity Trust and the Hadfield Trust.

The court was re-opened to the public on June 18 and has since seen it’s membership numbers and the number of hours of court bookings increase dramatically.

Brian Leigh-Bramwell, Secretary of the Tennis Club Committee, said: “The tennis court had become unusable, and the refurbishment would simply not have taken place without these grants. We were really grateful for them.

“Membership of the club has increased by 20% and the usage of the court has since been far higher than in previous years.

“Everybody I speak to tells me how happy they are to play on such a brilliant new court. There can’t be many courts in a prettier landscape than Crosthwaite”.

Memberships at Crosthwaite and Lyth Tennis Club are priced at £10 for juniors (aged under 18), £15 for students (aged 18-25), £25 for adults and £35 for a family.

Alternatively, you can book the court for £5 p/hour.

If you would like to become a member or to book the court for your own personal use, visit: https://www.crosthwaitetennis.co.uk/