The Bristol and Bath Tennis Club was founded in 1985 by a small group of enthusiasts with the aim of providing a real tennis

Real tennis

Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...

 facility for people in Bristol

Bristol

Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

, Bath, and adjacent areas in the southwest of England.

Their efforts culminated in the construction of a new real tennis court situated on Clifton College

Clifton College

Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...

's Beggar Bush Playing Fields during 1997. Since then several hundred players have sampled the game for the first time, and the club has an established membership approaching 350.