About us



Tennis all year round

Inspired by Wimbledon?

If so, or if indeed you are just looking forward to summer, then join us at City Lawn Tennis Club.  This summer (2023), our first full season since the COVID-19 pandemic, we are especially welcoming new members. 

The City LTC has three lovingly maintained grass courts that are enjoyed by players of all ages and abilities. 

We play Saturday mornings (11:00 - 14:00) and Wednesday evenings (17:30 - dusk), from May through to September. 

During the winter months, October - April, we use the public hard courts near the Chatham Football Club Grounds on Bournville Avenue, also on Saturdays, 11:00 - 14:00. 

The Club has a WhatsApp group to enable members to communicate with each other, arrange play, organise work parties, etc. 

The Club is affiliated with the British Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and fully upholds its Safeguarding policies.  Find these under the Policies tab on this website.  Individual membership of the LTA is free, and entitles you to enter the draw for Wimbledon tickets (you still have to pay for the tickets, though!).   

We look forward to seeing you.  

Contact us:  info@cityltc.co.uk

Our History

2023 is the 125th anniversary of the founding of the City Lawn Tennis Club!  First established in 1898, originally five grass courts were laid out, of which only three remain today. The courts are located between public allotments on the north side and an area of woodlands and open meadow to the south.  It is understood the land on which the courts are laid was bequeathed to the people of Rochester in 1579, by Sir Richard Watts, a successful local businessman, MP and philanthropist.  Indeed, the area is known as Watts Meadow and is looked after by the Friends of Watts Meadow, a local volunteer organisation. Sir Richard Watts also left money in his will to establish the Alms Houses on the Rochester Maidstone Road, known as the Richard Watts Charity, and the Six Poor Travellers House in Rochester High Street.

City LTC had its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s when its members won many of the local grass-court league tournaments in the Medway area. However, the popularity of playing on grass has waned in recent years forcing many lawn tennis clubs in the area to close. Indeed this is the reason that two of the original courts were given up in the 1970s when they were converted into allotments.

The present clubhouse was erected just after World War II, and has survived a number of incidents in its lifetime the worst being the fire in the winter of 2004, believed to have been set by vandals. The fire caused extensive damage and made it necessary to replace the entire roof with its present corrugated metal one. The large and extremely heavy grass roller that lies in the Northern corner of the tennis courts and can just be seen in the top right corner of the home page photo is thought to have been at the club since it was opened. Club members can be seen rolling the grass on a Wednesday evening through April in preparation for the clubs opening on the 1st Saturday in May.  The facilities of City LTC remain rudimentary.  While there is running water on site, there is no electricity.  Regrettably, with vandalism continuing, in does not make sense to upgrade.  

The current members believe that grass is the only surface to experience the true game of tennis and are determined to keep the club open to allow future generations to forget their worries for a couple of hours and enjoy this healthy and social outdoor sport.

If you have information that would provide additional detail regarding the club's history please let us know. 

© 2021 City Lawn Tennis Club, by Ricco Raga