Wellesley Recreation Ground
The Wellesley Recreation Ground is an important historic and recreational asset of Great Yarmouth and has great untapped potential:
- the world's oldest football stand
- brand new state-of-the-art 3G pitch
- fantastic facilities for athletics
- recently refurbished grade II listed tennis pavilion and ticket office
- situated next to the sea
- part of a strong urban fabric
- adjacent to the Venetian Waterways and Boating Lake
- walking distance to the town centre that is itself being regenerated
The Wellesley Recreation Ground was opened in 1888 in order to provide formal facilities for sports in Great Yarmouth. By 1890, local architect, JW Cockrill, had erected a tennis pavilion, ticket office and grandstand on the site. All three buildings are now listed with Grade II status. The grandstand is now considered to be the oldest football stand in Britain, and possibly the world, and is still in use. The other two buildings are not in use and are currently boarded up. The Recreation Ground is also protected by a 'Fields in Trust' covenant.
Today, the ground is utilised by Great Yarmouth Town Football Club and Great Yarmouth Athletics Club, with community use on the co-located 3G pitch and tennis court.
What are the new facilities for the Wellesley?
A brand-new artificial grass 9v9 (4,108sqm) football pitch has been installed to the south of the site, which was previously an unused grassed area. The pitch includes a spectator area and is surrounded by 4.5m ball stop protective fencing, plus six new 15m LED-lit floodlights.
Refurbishment and repurposing of the Grade II listed tennis pavilion has provided changing and welfare facilities for the 3G pitch and other activities on site. The refurbishment includes two separate changing facilities with showers and toilets, a communal breakout area with basic kitchen facilities, and a separate accessible toilet facility.
