page_title: Recreation Ground (Bath)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Recreation Ground (Bath) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Disused circa 1930 turnstile and kiosk at the William Street entrance to The Recreation Ground, Bath, England.
context_page_description: The Recreation Ground is a large open space in the centre of Bath, England, next to the River Avon, which is available to be used by permission from the Recreation Ground Trust for recreational purposes by the public at large but particularly the people of Bath and surrounding areas.
  About a quarter of the Rec is leased to Bath Rugby during the rugby union season as a sports ground capable of holding 14,500 people. During the summer the rugby ground's temporary East Stand is removed to make way for cricket on a larger pitch. This cricket pitch is used for local contests and was used by Somerset County Cricket Club until 2011. Parts of the eastern area of the Rec are used by Bath Hockey Club, Bath Croquet Club, Bath Drama Club, Bath Quidditch Club and for some tennis courts. Pitches are available for amateur sports such as Football, Volleyball and Lacrosse. There is a cricket pavilion at the William Street entrance to the ground. The council-run Sports and Leisure Centre is located on the southern edge of the Rec, accessed via North Parade.
context_section_description: In the early part of the 1890s, the land on which the Recreation Ground now lies as well as the North Parade land were part of the Bathwick Estate, which was owned by the Forester family.  In 1894, a lease was granted to the Directors of The Bath and County Recreation Ground Company Limited by Captain G W Forester.  This lease allowed work to be carried out on the land which would make it suitable for cricket matches, lawn tennis and archery tournaments, football matches and all other outdoor sports.  As part of this work, a cricket pavilion was started on the north side of the ground.  The first Bath rugby matches were also played on the ground in 1884.  Three years later, the ground hosted its maiden first-class cricket match, with Somerset County Cricket Club hosting the Gentlemen of Philadelphia as part of the Bath Cricket Festival.  The company's lease was extended for a further 21 years in 1908, at a rent of £100 per year.  Fourteen years later, the land was conveyed to The Bath and County Recreation Ground Company Limited for £6,050.  The company then conveyed the North Parade Land, including a building which was used as an ice skating rink, to Bath Artcraft Limited for £2,500.
  A new lease was granted to Bath F.C. in 1927, allowing them the use of the land on the west side of ground, along with a Grand Stand, a New (North) Stand and a Pavilion, for a term of 25 years.  Six years later the lease was surrendered, and a new 50-year lease was granted.  In the same year, the Grand Stand was replaced with a new West Stand.  This was significantly bomb-damaged during the Second World War.  Rebuilding of the stand, at a cost in excess of £12,000, was met by the War Damage Commission in 1953–54.  The 'Club Room' building was erected in 1954, to the west of the North Stand, and during the same year a lease was granted to allow a tennis club to use the north east corner of the ground.  In 1956, the ground was conveyed to the Mayor Aldermen and the Citizens of the City of Bath (the Corporation) for £11,155.
  Bath F.C. surrendered their 1933 lease, and were granted a new 75-year lease in 1973. In 1974, both the Recreation Ground and the North Parade Land were transferred to Bath City Council, who erected a Sports and Leisure Centre on the south side in 1975.  In 1995, Bath F.C. were granted a further 75-year lease. Doubts over the legal effect of the 1956 Conveyance were settled in 2002, when the High Court declared the land a charitable trust, with the Council as the sole Trustee.  Following this decision, the Charity Commission raised issues over the use of the land, questioning the leisure centre's compliance with the use of the land for "open air recreation", and the dominant use of the ground by Bath Rugby to the perceived detriment of wider uses. On 16 July 2006, Irish vocal pop band Westlife held a concert for their Face to Face Tour supporting their album Face to Face.
caption: A now unused turnstile and kiosk at the William Street entrance, a Grade II listed building, built circa 1930[5]
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