Colwyn Bay Open
Defunct tennis tournament
TourILTF Circuit
Founded1886 (1886)
Abolished1959 (1959)
LocationColwyn Bay, Denbighshire, Wales
VenuePwyllycrochan Park
Colwyn Bay LTC
Eirias Park

The Colwyn Bay Open and later known as the Colwyn Bay Open Hard Court Tennis Tournament[1] was men's and women's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1886 as the Colwyn Bay Open Lawn Tennis Tournament.[2] It was first played on Pwyllycrochan Park Estate, Colwyn Bay, Denbighshire, Wales.[3] The tournament was staged annually until 1930 when it was discontinued. Following World War II the tournament was revived in 1949 and continued till 1959 when it was abolished.[3]

History

In August 1886 the Colwyn Bay Open Lawn Tennis Tournament was established.[4] The early editions were played on the Pwllycrochan Estate on the former grounds of a mansion house that was turned into a hotel in 1866 called the Pwllycrochan Hotel.[5] Play at the hotel was conducted on a combination of hard clay and grass tennis courts in the grounds of the hotel.[6] In 1890 the tournament was moved to the newly opened Colwyn Bay Lawn Club grounds at Princes Drive.[7] After tournament had moved the event was played on grass courts.[8]

In 1919 the club was looking for a new venue as it had outgrown its facilities. In 1921 the local council purchased 50 acres of land at Eirias Park. The first 27 acres were bought by the council on April 12, 1921, and the remainder in 1929.[9] Colwyn Bay Tennis club were granted a new ground formally opened by Frederick Smith, 1st Baron Colwyn in 1921 and moved there.[10] By 1933 the facilities had been expanded to include eight clay courts.[11]

The tournament continued to be staged until 1939 when it was discontinued due to World War II.[3] In 1949 the tournament resumed and also featured a junior open event for the first time.[12] In 1959 the senior event was discontinued as part of the ILTF Circuit.[3] However the junior event did carry on until as late as 1986.

In 2003 the tennis grounds at Eirias Park were renamed as the James Alexander Barr Tennis Centre.[13] By this time the clay courts had been replaced by four outdoor hard courts and included 2 indoor hard tennis courts.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "COLWYN BAY TENNIS. Fine weather prevailed for the third day in the Colwyn Bay Open Hard Court tennis tournament. The third round had already been reached in the first three event". Liverpool Echo. Lancashire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 7 May 1930. p. 16. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "COLWYN BAY LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT. The Seventh Annual Open Tournament of The Bay Lawn Tennis Club began on Monday- 14th. on the Club Ground in Princess Drive, and finished on the evening of Friday. August 18th here are the results". North Wales Weekly News. Denbighshire, Wales: British Newspaper Archive. 24 August 1893. p. 6. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Tournaments: Colwyn Bay Open". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  4. ↑ North Wales Weekly News
  5. ↑ "The Pwllycrochan Estate". Colwyn Bay Heritage. Colwyn Bay Heritage Group. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  6. ↑ "COLWYN BAY: PWLLYCROUIIAN HOTEL. Ideal situation. Extensive grounds. hot and cold water in principal bedrooms. Lift. Garage. Tennis courts, hard and grass courts. Golf. Special terms for long periods". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. Yorkshire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 12 May 1932. p. 3. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "Colwyn Bay Lawn Tennis Club Meeting. Formation, the formation committee and the Colwyn Lawn Tennis Meeting". North Wales Weekly News. Denbighshire, Wales: British Newspaper Archive. 13 November 1890. p. 2. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "COLWYN BAY TENNIS COURTS: The Bay Lawn Tennis Club, whose courts are situated the land lying between Prince's Drive and the railway station, are in negotiations for the acquisition of a new ground situated above Conway Road". Liverpool Daily Post. Lancashire, England: British Newspaper Archive. 1 December 1919. p. 10. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "History of Eirias Park". Colwyn Bay Heritage. Colwyn Bay Heritage Group. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "New Tennis Ground. A Colwyn Bay Venture. Formal Opening by Lord Colwyn: On Saturday Lord Colwyn formally opened the new tennis ground situated in Eirias Park which now consisted of five grey clay tennis courts, after which the event was played on that surface". North Wales Weekly News. Denbighshire, Wales: British Newspaper Archive. 19 May 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  11. ↑ Colwyn Bay Heritage Group
  12. ↑ "COLWYN BAY TENNIS TOURNAMENT: (Senior Events) Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay June 13th to 18th, 1949". North Wales Weekly News. Denbighshire, Wales: British Newspaper Archive. 9 June 1949. p. 6. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Sports & Leisure :". colwyn-tc.gov.uk. Bay of Colwyn Town Council. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  14. ↑ Bay of Colwyn Town Council
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