The first of a series of articles tracing the fascinating and varied history of the building the Museum now occupies

The Tennis Court

It is the 12th of February 1763 and a letter is published in the Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette:

“Tennis is an excellent Exercise. There is scarce a little village in France without a Tennis-Court. Would not the Company here employ one with great Advantage to the Proprietor?”

Nothing happens following this letter, but 13 years later (2nd May 1776) the Chronicle reports a rumour that a Tennis-court is to be erected at the north end of Westgate Buildings at the junction with Westgate Street.  This project does not seem to proceed.  However on 28th November the newspaper reports that there is a:

 “TENNIS COURT now erecting near the Riding-School”

Newspaper reports rumours of Real Tennis Court to be built
Newspaper clipping from 1776

This was Real Tennis, a game much closer to modern-day Squash.  There are complicated rules, with players getting points by the ball striking different places on the walls.  The court was large and high, with grilles protecting the windows and the spectators from ball strikes; it was managed by the Marker, who combined the roles of coach, umpire and general manager.  You can learn about the rules of Real Tennis (which is still played) and see a diagram of a court here:

The Proprietor

Scrace senior was Richard Scrace, the proprietor of the adjacent Riding School. This is the building at right-angles to the Museum, leading down to Julian Road, in which the horses were stabled, and there was an exercising area where the church hall and some other buildings now are. Scrace evidently felt that this extension to his business was a sure winner, being just a few minutes away from The New Rooms (Assembly Rooms) with its card games, dancing, and drinking.

He was perhaps over confident, as we shall see.  The Chronicle publishes his call for subscribers every week from 12th December 1776, assuring “Undeniable security” – you can’t lose your money!  Having advertised that it would be ready by February 1777, in February he announces it for April; this deadline is missed too, but finally on 25th September 1777 he is able to confirm that the Tennis-court is open:

Newspaper clipping of 1777 announces Tennis Court is open
Newspaper clipping of 1777 announces opening

Hiring and Dress

I haven’t found any record of how much it actually cost to hire the court for a game, but he wants “Nobility and Gentry” as customers, so he is keen to emphasise that:

 “Particular attention will be had to keep the dressing-rooms and dresses well aired.”

The ‘dresses’ refers to the clothing that you would hire along with your booking, giving more ease of movement than day-wear.  The garments would not have been laundered, or only rarely, but hanging them outside for a while ensured that the previous gentleman’s perspiration had dried off.

The entrance was from the Morford Street side, and the dressing-room was in what is now ‘Mr Bowler’s Office’ – you can see the original fireplace.  If you look up at the front of the Museum, you can easily see the sills of the larger windows below the current ones, and also a trace of the access balcony (a line just above the modern door) – this enabled a man to climb a ladder and close and open the shutters across the windows.

Photo of museum today with traces of larger window sills from original building.
Photo of building today

So how did Richard Scrace’s enterprise go?

The story continues in the next article

Full Series:   Links will be added as each article is published

Part 2       Part 3        Part 4       Part 5        Part 6     Part 7

Building complete timeline can be viewed here

Ann Cullis September 2024