Newton St. Cyres Tennis Club near Exeter is a small, friendly, active club in a quiet rural setting which caters for players of all abilities. There are two well-maintained, all weather courts with floodlighting, which are in frequent use throughout the year with regular daytime and evening sessions. The clubhouse was originally an Exmouth beach hut that was transported inland in the mid 1960s to be used for serving refreshments at cricket and football matches on the local Recreational Club grounds. In 1977, when the tennis club was founded, the hut was offered to the club for storing equipment and to provide shelter from passing showers. Following the growth and success of the club over the years, a plan for a new clubhouse was a regular item on the committee agenda but they weren’t able to proceed due to lack of funds. Instead, a proposal to extend and modernise the club hut by providing a viewing area of the courts, a changing room with toilet facilities and a modern kitchen area was explored.
In February 2018, Valencia Communities Fund awarded funding to the Club so that they would be able to realise their wishes. The club chose a local, talented craftsman, specialising in bespoke timber garden buildings and extensions, who showed a genuine enthusiasm for the project and was prepared to work within a tight budget to undertake the new construction work. The new clubhouse is more spacious and comfortable for members and visitors but will also ensure the future of the club as a local community resource in the long term.
