One of the UK’s oldest but least played sports can be found at the heart of Jesmond Dene, and the doors of the venue hosting it are always open.

Nestled to the side of Jesmond Dene, one of the UK’s 27 real tennis clubs can be found thriving thanks to a new professional and interior renovation.

Former professional footballer turned head professional Mark Eadle is keen to make Jesmond Dene Real Tennis Club appeal to new members in the area and shake off any idea of the club being exclusive. However, he is still feeling the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic and how life was at the club before his arrival.

“Covid stopped the supply of students,” he said. “We were having to start again. It has never had someone who can teach, who has been a top player. It’s never had that, and I think I can bring different people in from different things.”

Eadle believes that he can shake off the stuffy image of real tennis and appeal to a broader range of would-be players.

“The game has suffered in the past with a feel of exclusivity,” he told JesmondLocal. “For me it’s not exclusive. It’s exclusive because the next nearest one is in Manchester.” Eadle said the real tennis club compares favourably to nearby gyms and tennis clubs. “The David Lloyd tennis club next door is £100 per month, we’re £218 a year,” he said. “We’re not exclusive financially.”

While it remains a primary target to expose the club to residents in the local area, Eadle does not believe that the sport itself has the potential to grow bigger – in part because of the facilities required preventing any new builds. “They’re not going to come along and build that as a venue, commercially it wouldn’t make sense,” he said.

Instead, the professional wants to expand the clubs that are in situ. “Now that I have been here for two years, I want to build it and get the game out there,” he said. “I am trying to employ a young 17-year-old in the community to continue to grow the sport. I just need to get it across that we’re open and the doors are always open.”

Founded in 1894, Jesmond Dene Real Tennis Club was originally part of Jesmond Dene House (which has since become a hotel) and served as the original house owner’s games room. Since then, due to a lack of innovation and development has led to many residents in the local area not knowing the club even exists.

Blanca Parlade is a student in Newcastle and keen real tennis player, who Eadle hopes can show the sport doesn’t have an exclusive image.

Parlade has been playing real tennis for several years. “To begin with, I was reluctant to play as I hadn’t met any girls in the sport nor many people my age,” she said.

She arrived in Newcastle a year ago as a student, and said “joining the club has been the best thing I could’ve done for my game.

“I have found so many people – including ladies and people my age – to play with. I couldn’t feel more included. I really feel like the ladies of Jesmond Dene are important to the club as there are an abundance of ladies events here, such as ladies nights and tournaments.”

Real tennis consists of a much harder ball and slightly angled wooden rackets. The game is scored like lawn tennis but is played indoors, with walls on every side of the court. According to rules outlined by Oxford University Tennis club, the ball can touch one wall after the serve while travelling to the other side of the court and must be returned after one bounce. New players are also required to learn several new terms not used in lawn tennis including penthouse, gallery, and chase.

Eadle also believes that the sport itself has the potential to expand in Jesmond as it provides a contrast to the multiple lawn tennis clubs in the area, providing an alternative sports option that is not available anywhere else in the north east.

“It’s unique for a few reasons,” he said. “One is if you love sport. Two [is] if you love architecture, and three [is] if you love the history. There is a lot of history but the fact is it’s so unique and the door’s always open, but we want people in here. I’ve got kids here on Saturday mornings as young as three years old.”

To increase awareness in the community, Mark has offered a free introduction lesson to the sport for four people, if they mention JesmondLocal to the club. 

This story was updated at 3:10pm on December 23rd to clarify Mark Eadle is not the owner of Jesmond Dene Real Tennis Club, but its head professional. JesmondLocal regrets the error.