THE HISTORY OF THE ESTATE
In 1869, The Hurlingham Club was formed ‘as an agreeable country resort’ with pigeon shooting matches at the heart of proceedings. The introduction of polo in 1874 then saw the Club become, and remain until the Second World War, the headquarters of Polo for the British Empire and the scene of major competitions. The estate was extended during the polo era with the acquisition of the Mulgrave House property (comprising the lake and the area to the north and west of the lake) in 1879 and the Broom House property (the present cricket field and the lawns to the east of the Clubhouse) in 1912. In 1906 the Club embarked on a considerable scheme of improvements to the house and its precincts, for which Sir Edwin Lutyens was the architect. This was also the year that saw the end of pigeon shooting at Hurlingham. Tennis began in 1877 with a ‘lawn racquet ground’ and the first ‘All England’ (Wimbledon) tournament, and croquet was introduced to the Club in about 1900. 1933 saw the building of the outdoor swimming pool. Squash courts were constructed in 1934 and the bowls began a year later. The Club was then opened in the winter with the re-establishment of a nine-hole golf course. 1945 saw the end of polo at Hurlingham but tennis continued to flourish and the first of the annual ILTC (eve of Wimbledon) Receptions was held in 1946. The cricket field, formerly the pony exercise track, was opened in 1951. The Croquet Association had its headquarters here from 1959 to 2002 and top-ranking international competitions continue to be regularly held on the lawns.
A scheme of modernisation of the East Wing, carried out in 1949 to 1954, enabled the adaptation of these rooms to every kind of social or charitable occasion, whether Club or private. Development carried out between 1989 and 1992 included the rebuilding of the conservatory on the original site of Byfield’s 1798 conservatory; new bars in the west end of the Clubhouse and a modern fitness centre with a half-size Olympic indoor pool, gymnasium and other facilities. An initial phase of development within the grounds yard took place in 1999 and a new ladies dry change facility was also introduced. Work initiated in 1999 saw the completion in 2001 of a new gymnasium and maintenance area, together with a rebuilt and extended Harness Room kitchen and servery. 2002 introduced covered tennis courts and saw preparations for the reconstruction of the East Wing, with 2003 bearing the brunt of the work. The new events facilities, bowls and croquet locker rooms, and staff offices, within the newly developed East Wing, were unveiled in the spring of 2004. The younger members benefited in 2008 from an all-weather multi-use sports pitch and improvements in the surrounding playground, and a new main reception was also completed in the Clubhouse. The second phase of improvements for the grounds yard was also accomplished. Additional projects have included: a Gym extension, a new Racquet centre, an outdoor adventure playground, a padel tennis court and a sizeable revamp of the outdoor swimming pool.
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