The Lensbury
The Lensbury is a conference centre, hotel, and leisure facility located on the banks of the Thames in Teddington, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The Lensbury was founded in 1920, as a club for Shell employees and was known as the Lensbury Club, until the 1990s. In May 2019, it was sold by Shell to L+R Hotels. History Origins The Lensbury Club ("Lensbury Social and Athletic Club") was established in 1920, as a sports club for Shell staff in the United Kingdom – one of the driving forces behind its formation was Dutchman Henri Deterding, one of the original founders of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, who was a fitness fanatic. Land was acquired in Broom Road, Teddington, for playing fields and within a year, there were active sections in Cricket, Rugby, Football, Rowing, Ladies Hockey, Tennis and Chess. Between 1920 and the beginning of the Second World War, significant additions to the Lensbury estate were made with property and land purchases on both sides of Broom Road. In 1933, the club merged with "Britannic House", a similar club operated by BP, and created a joint venture known as the "Lensbury and Britannic House Associated Clubs"