A Short History of the Saxmundham Sports & Recreational Club
History
This Club was formed on December 7th 1933 & the revival of
Bowls, Tennis and Cricket was to take place on pastureland, known
as the Layers, belonging to Squire Long & situated on the southern
outskirts of the town. Limited use was made of the small recreation
grounds, held in trust by the then Saxmundham Urban District Council,
and situated off Rendham Road.
After the war, these sites became unavailable or insufficient,
as it was then becoming obvious that Sports facilities should be
expanded to cater for ALL members of the public.
A far sighted committee including solicitor J. Noel Cooper and
Dr. David Ryder Richardson raised loans to purchase 23 acres of
beautiful Park Land, ideally situated between Saxmundham & Kelsale.
The present committee are planting more trees to ensure that this
site will still be pleasant for future generations
The grounds remain the property of the Club, but are used by the
public and local organisations for outdoor functions, and provision
of facilities for caravans and tents has made a much appreciated
stopping place for British and foreign tourists.
Club members come from as far away as Kesgrave and Halesworth,
and the ground is maintained by voluntary labour.
In 1969 a modern pavilion, with changing rooms and showers, was
provided in place of the Nissen Huts, which had been left over from
the war. In 1983 a new pavilion was provided for the Bowls &
Tennis sections and in 1999 an extention was added to the Kellett
Pavilion so that the facilities could be upgraded.
Organisation
Each activity is catered for by its own section committee. There
are sections for Football, Cricket, Tennis and Bowls as well as
an Adventure Playground. The grounds and the caravan park are administered
by the main club committee.
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