Lord’s Cricket Ground

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) – more commonly known as Lord’s – is the home of English cricket.

It started life in 1787 when the White Conduit Club felt their Islington playing fields were getting trampled by too many members of the public. They asked the wealthy Thomas Lord if he would mind finding them an alternative piece of land, and he came up with a plot near Regent’s Park.

They renamed themselves the Marylebone Cricket Club shortly after, and played their first match in 1788.

A mighty rent increase in 1811 forced them to up sticks to Marylebone Bank, and five years later they settled in St. John’s Wood.

Guided tour, and MCC Museum

If you’re a cricket fan then you will absolutely love the 90-minute tour. But if you’re a woman, then you’ll probably wonder what all the fuss is about.

The Long Room is the heart of the place, filled with portraits of the game’s greats. You can also take a peek inside the player’s changing rooms, and visit the MCC Museum – tracing 400 years of cricketing history.

Pride of place goes to the original Ashes trophy, a few inches high and filled with the remains of a burnt ball. (The MCC craftily claims that it’s too fragile to be moved – so it will remain in English hands no matter how many times the Aussies beat us!)

• Information

Facts and information

Address:

Lord’s Cricket Ground, St. John’s Wood Road, St. John’s Wood,
London NW8 8QN
England

Telephone:

Work +44 (0) 207 616 8500

Bus route:

6 13 16 46 82 98 113 139 188 190 332 414

Train station:

Maida Vale, St. John’s Wood, Warwick Avenue

Opening times:

Guided tours - 10, noon and 2 (Apr–Sep); noon and 2 (Oct–Mar)

^{Lord’s cricket groundThe Grandstand at Lord’s}