The Griffin Report: Edgbaston Priory Club CEO discusses 150 years of star-studded tennis history
EDGBASTON PRIORY CLUB, which boasts the best grass tennis courts outside Wimbledon, will again be attracting world-class players for their Open tournament this month. The club is also celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and JON GRIFFIN caught up with club CEO CLAIRE DANIEL-LEPORE to discuss its enduring world-wide affection.
Claire Daniel-Lepore is reflecting with pride on 150 years of star-studded tennis history at one of the region’s true sporting gems. “You know, there’s no better place to be in Birmingham in the sunshine than here, playing on the amazing courts, being in the pool.
“What really resonated with me when I started was this is so much more than a club. It’s a lifestyle – it isn’t just a health club or a racquets club – it’s a way of life. People bring their whole families here for the day or night.”
Edgbaston Priory Club may be a somewhat different sporting arena compared to Villa Park, St Andrew’s or its cricketing neighbour down the road at Edgbaston Stadium but the racquets club, whose origins date back to the Victorian era, has more than earned its place in the UK’s sporting affections.
The roll-call of stars who have battled for court supremacy at the Priory down through the decades reads like an A-Z of tennis royalty, from early legends such as Fred Perry and Dan Maskell to more recent world-class competitors in the shape of Bjorn Borg, Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, Billie Jean King, Maria Sharapova, Kings Heath’s very own Ann Jones, Martina Navratilova, Venus Williams, Heather Watson and Tim Henman.
In the case of Ann Jones, the future Wimbledon champion began life as a club member at the Priory before winning tennis’s blue riband tournament while squash legend Jonah Barrington also climbed through the ranks at the Birmingham complex.
That legacy of tennis and racquets stardust over the years for the Priory is entirely fitting given that lawn tennis originated in Birmingham back in 1859 when a certain Major Harry Gem and Augurio Perara first marked out a croquet lawn in Ampton Road, Edgbaston, for use as a tennis court.
The Priory is also steeped in sporting history as one of the oldest private tennis and leisure clubs in the UK, recently celebrating its 150th birthday following its foundation in 1875. In 1884 Maud Watson from Solihull won the very first ladies’ Wimbledon title – and the trophy she collected is now awarded to the winner of the Birmingham Open held at the Edgbaston venue.
A galaxy of tennis stars are set to descend on the Priory in June for the latest incarnation of a tournament which began life in 1982, attracting thousands of tennis fans to Birmingham B15 as a prelude to Wimbledon later in the summer.
Says Priory CEO Claire: “The Birmingham Lexus Open tournament is the biggest event in our calendar. It changed last year and we had both men and women play and we’ve got men and women playing again this year, which is fantastic.
“It’s the first grass court tournament of the season and a warm-up for Wimbledon – we’ve got the best courts outside of Wimbledon, that’s not personal bias, we see it as a fact.”
This year the Lexus Birmingham Open takes place from 30 May to 7 June, with an array of activities across the nine days of action including a live DJ, Indian dancing, ballet performances, food and drink stalls, a Pride Day and other highlights.
“We have been working really closely with the LTA from July last year and this year’s tournament is looking to be bigger and better than last year. The grounds team have done an amazing job with the grass courts and we expect to see around 20,000 spectators over the course of the Open. A lot of players playing here will go on to Wimbledon.”
The club also recently celebrated its 150th anniversary with another wide variety of events, including a special ball hosted by Annabel Croft, an exhibition for all members, a family fun day - and a video message from Billie Jean King. “She sent a message for all our members – she has really fond memories of playing here.”
But tennis is not the only game in town at this Birmingham oasis, set in 14 acres of greenery with 23 outdoor courts and eight indoor courts along with ten squash courts. The Priory also boasts facilities for padel and pickleball enthusiasts alongside lifestyle attractions from pools, gym and fitness to a range of club activities including the likes of bridge and gardening.
Says Claire, a sports lover who joined the Priory in May 2025 from Edgbaston Stadium where she spent 15 years in a wide variety of key roles including general manager of catering and operations director: “Squash is also really big and important to us. We have the British Junior Open and we have around 6,000 people for that.
“And we’re not just a racquets club – we’re a private members club owned by our members. We’ve got 3,200 members and about 600 juniors. They are predominantly from the Midlands, within a 10-mile radius.
“Our average age is 45 – we’ve got a lot of long-standing members who have been here for 50, 60 years, we are really privileged that we have members who care so passionately about the club.
“We’re continuing to invest in our facilities. We’re doing a refurbishment in the bar and bistro – we are really aware that we want to continue to be this private members’ club and to be a destination where people want to come for breakfast, lunch etc. Families spend quite a bit of time here – it’s a home from home.”
In common with all sporting and leisure organisations in an era when youngsters are increasingly distracted by the often-dubious temptations of 24-7 Internet access, the Priory is keen to attract new generations of tennis and squash lovers.
“We’ve got kids’ camps, primarily focused on racquets, which are full. We have some of the best coaches ensuring that the kids have fun. Like any coaches they have a bigger role than just coaching the sport – it’s about coaching them, leadership, manners, expectations, timekeeping etc. Racquet sports are quite niche, so it’s about making them accessible.”
Claire says investment – both in the club’s infrastructure and facilities and in the racquet stars of new generations – should ensure a bright future for a club formed in 1964 following a merger between the Edgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club and the Priory Lawn Tennis Club, which both dated back to the 1870s.
“We want to be the best member-led racquets and lifestyle facility. We’ve been here for 150 years - my job is to make sure that we’re stable for the next 150 years.”
This article first appeared in the May 2026 edition of Chamberlink magazine.
