Description
The Queen's Club sports ground was first established here in 1886 as the area was being developed for housing. Initially established as a cricket ground, from 1887 the club provided facilities for lawn tennis for which it is now most famous. In 1953 the Lawn Tennis Association purchased the Club. In 2005/6 the Lawn Tennis Association began preparations to move its headquarters to a new National Tennis Centre in Roehampton and in 2006 The Queen's Club was sold to Club Members on a 120-year lease
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Lawn Tennis Association's Queen's Club |
|---|---|
| Site location | Palliser Road/Perham Road |
| Postcode | W14 9EQ |
| What3Words | ///juices.gentle.racing |
| Type of Site | Private Open Land |
| Borough | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | members only (Queen's Club Shop open to non-members) |
| Public Transport | Tube: Barons Court (District, Piccadilly) |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The area was largely undeveloped prior to the 1860s, much of it farmland. Greyhound Road is an old route that existed between North End and the river prior to the housing development that accelerated particularly after the opening of North End Fulham railway station (later West Kensington station) in 1874 encouraged speculative house building. The Queen's Club was established as a sports ground in 1886 on a former market garden called the Queen's Field. Prior to this the three leading sporting clubs in London were Lord's, Prince's Club and the Hurlingham Club. Prince's Club closed in 1887, its site now that of Cadogan Square, Lennox Gardens and Hans Place (q.q.v.), and the Queen's Club was able to fill this gap in sporting provision in London. It was initially The Queen's Cricket Club and Ground under Gibbs and Flew Partners, the developers of the surrounding area, but from 1887 the club provided facilities for lawn tennis for which it is now most famous. The first lawn tennis matches were held in May of that year, and in 1953 the Lawn Tennis Association purchased the Club.
The complex of club buildings was designed by William Marshall and opened in 1888, comprising a central pavilion with large club room and changing facilities. North of the pavilion were Real Tennis courts and an Eton Fives court; to the south were two Rackets courts and offices; and to the west a covered way formed a link to two indoor Lawn Tennis courts, now courts 1 and 2, which opened on 13 April 1888. By 1900 there were 30 grass courts, a running track, indoor courts, cricket pitch, and an asphalt skating rink that was converted for ice skating in the winter. At the main entrance are three sets of gates, the central pair having red-brick gate piers with moulded stone caps with the Club's insignia, ball finials and flagpoles. The secondary entrance on Perham Road is more modest; inside the boundary here is a fine London plane tree. Much of the original late C19th club buildings remain, although new buildings and facilities have been added over the years.
In 2005/6 the Lawn Tennis Association began preparations to move its headquarters to a new National Tennis Centre in Roehampton and in 2007 The Queen's Club was sold to Club Members on a 120-year lease. The Club is internationally known for the Stella Artois Tennis Tournament, and now hosts the AEGON Championships.
The complex of club buildings was designed by William Marshall and opened in 1888, comprising a central pavilion with large club room and changing facilities. North of the pavilion were Real Tennis courts and an Eton Fives court; to the south were two Rackets courts and offices; and to the west a covered way formed a link to two indoor Lawn Tennis courts, now courts 1 and 2, which opened on 13 April 1888. By 1900 there were 30 grass courts, a running track, indoor courts, cricket pitch, and an asphalt skating rink that was converted for ice skating in the winter. At the main entrance are three sets of gates, the central pair having red-brick gate piers with moulded stone caps with the Club's insignia, ball finials and flagpoles. The secondary entrance on Perham Road is more modest; inside the boundary here is a fine London plane tree. Much of the original late C19th club buildings remain, although new buildings and facilities have been added over the years.
In 2005/6 the Lawn Tennis Association began preparations to move its headquarters to a new National Tennis Centre in Roehampton and in 2007 The Queen's Club was sold to Club Members on a 120-year lease. The Club is internationally known for the Stella Artois Tennis Tournament, and now hosts the AEGON Championships.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ242780 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 2.49 |
| Site Ownership | The Queen's Club Ltd |
| Site Management | The Queen's Club Ltd |
| Dates | 1886 |
| Listed Structures | Building of merit: Queen's Club complex of buildings |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Queen's Club Gardens |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Other LA Designation | Open Sporting Facility |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
St Andrew's Church dates from 1874, as the area was changing from market gardens and orchards to housing. With increased housing development in ensuing decades the parish grew and the church was later enlarged in the 1890s. The churchyard garden has a mixture of trees and shrubs planted in a grassed area, and the church runs a Green Project.
Barons Court Garden Triangle is a private garden enclosure for the residents of the surrounding houses that overlook it. The development of 34 houses was built in 1928, designed in the spirit of the Garden City movement. The houses were built in two or three tight phases with two elevational house types.This small housing development represents that short moment before mansion blocks such as the adjacent Gunter Estate's Barons Keep (q.v.) became the preferred type of housing provision. Most of this area was agricultural into the mid C19th until the owner Sir William Palliser began to develop his land. He may have come up with the name Barons Court as a means of attracting potential house buyers.
The 33 mansion blocks of Queen's Club Gardens were built in the late C19th as this area was being developed for housing. The estate was named after the nearby Queen's Club sports centre, which had opened in 1886. The mansion blocks, all named after literary and historical figures, surround private communal gardens and tennis courts, which were provided for residents. The gardens contain a number of mature trees, including one particularly fine London plane tree.