 Very little Tennis was
played at Petworth after 1920, (photo 04-a fine
view of the exterior of Petworth House Tennis Court
c1920), though it is recorded that Lord Leconfield
continued to stage annual exhibition matches between
leading professionals. Indeed, on October 24th
1928, Willie Ratcliffe (Queen’s Club) played
an exhibition against Jack Groom (Lord’s)
and won by 3 sets to 1.
It is certain that from
1941 to the reopening in 1960, no Tennis at all
was played. During the period after 1941, the court
seems to have been used amongst other things for
the storage of grain. Indeed, it is recounted that
occasionally, the gamekeeper had to go into the
court to shoot rats and squirrels. When the inside
of the court was renovated prior to its reopening
in 1960, the inside of the ceiling was found to
be peppered with buckshot! |
Tennis
was restarted at Petworth when Andy Dawson, (photo
05-Andy Dawson on the right and George Cooke the
Professional on the left in 1972), who had recently
moved from Holyport to West Sussex, inspired the
revival of the court by setting up a club to use
the court. This was done with the great assistance
of Lord Egremont and the National Trust, the owners
of Petworth House.
The
court was officially reopened with a nucleus of keen
players on Sunday 3rd April 1960. Although at this
time there was no Professional, amongst those present
that day was former Petworth Professional Frank Latham,
this being the only known photo of him on the Petworth
court. He had long ago retired but returned for the
reopening.
On
Sunday April 19th 1964, the Amateurs vs Professionals
match was played at Petworth.
In
1968, the Penthouse Club, which was based at Alderson
Horne’s miniature court at Ditton Place in
Balcombe, was forced to close down, so the members
transferred en bloc to Petworth House. They gave
a cup for a handicap singles to be called The Penthouse
Cup to perpetuate their name and this cup is still
played for annually.