Royal County of Berkshire Real Tennis Club
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The Royal County of Berkshire Real Tennis Club operates the real tennis court at Holyport, Berkshire, England.
The court was built in 1889 by Sam Heilbut as part of his Holyport estate. For years Holyport was owned by the Martineau family, and a real tennis club was formed in 1953. When the last Martineau, Mrs. Janne Cahill, died in the 1980’s, a small group led by Chris Ronaldson, Colin Lumley, and other tennis enthusiasts bought the court and an area of surrounding land. Access to the tennis house is via a one lane asphalt and gravel driveway, tucked behind a row of picturesque cottages on Holyport Street. The main house of the estate is now a nursing home.
The overall dimensions of the court are 111 feet by 38 feet 8 inches (33.83 × 11.79 m), with a floor of 96 feet by 31 feet 8 inches (29.26 × 9.65 m). The tambour is 18½ inches wide by 25½ inches deep (470 × 648 mm). The court is well lit by both a skylight and clerestory windows. About a hundred and fifty members of the Royal County of Berkshire Real Tennis Club use the court.
In September 1993, Prince Edward first met his future wife, Sophie Rhys-Jones at the court. In 2005, Holyport hosted the Irish Open and Nationals.
