Lord’s Cricket Ground
Lord’s Cricket Ground, headquarters and home ground of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), long the world’s foremost cricket organization, and the scene of Test matches between England and visiting national teams and of matches of the Middlesex County Cricket Club, Oxford versus Cambridge, and Eton versus Harrow. Various cup finals and one-day international matches also take place there. Around the world, Lord’s is known as the “home of cricket” and of cricketers.
The original Lord’s was established in 1787 at what is now Dorset Square, St. Marylebone, southwest of Regent’s Park, London, by Thomas Lord. In 1811 it was moved to St. John’s Wood Estate and in 1814 to the present site, at St. John’s Wood Road west of Regent’s Park. Lord’s was the headquarters of cricket’s world governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), until 2005, when the headquarters moved to Dubai, and Lord’s continues to be the headquarters of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Some of the greatest moments in cricketing history have taken place at Lord’s, including the presentation of the Ashes urn to MCC in 1928; Don Bradman’s historic score of 254 for Australia against England in 1930; the Men’s World Cup finals in 1975, 1979, 1983, 1999, and 2019; and the Women’s World Cup finals in 1993 and 2017.
The MCC Museum, one of the oldest sporting museums in the world, houses cricketing art and memorabilia, such as the original Ashes urn and the first Men’s and Women’s World Cup trophies, offering cricket fans the opportunity to relive some of the historic moments of the game. Visitors can plan a tour of the ground and can walk to it from St. John’s Wood, the closest Tube station. Entry for MCC members is through the Grace Gates, a memorial created in 1919 to honor the great cricketer William Gilbert Grace. Lord’s is a unique blend of striking Victorian architecture and futuristic design elements. The Victorian-style Pavilion, built in 1889–90 to architect Thomas Verity’s design, is the oldest structure at Lord’s today. This is the third such structure to stand on the site. The first was destroyed by a fire in 1825, and the second was taken down in 1889. The present-day Pavilion offers clear views of the ground, and it houses the Long Room, a congregation room players walk through as they enter the pitch. The players’ dressing rooms—for the “home” and “away” teams—are on the floor above. The Honours Boards in the dressing rooms highlight the best batting and bowling performances at Lord’s. The Honours Boards were updated in 2019 to list achievements in limited overs international matches and exceptional performances in women’s internationals at Lord’s.
The present-day Grand Stand, like the Pavilion, is the third such structure to stand on the site. Created by architect Nicholas Grimshaw and opened by Prince Philip, the duke of Edinburgh, on June 18, 1998, the new Grand Stand is designed to efficiently seat 4,000 people in the lower tier and 2,000 in the upper one. Opposite the Grand Stand, between the Mound Stand and the Tavern Stand, is the original Father Time weather vane, gifted by Sir Herbert Baker to the MCC after he completed the second Grand Stand, in 1926. Representing the mythical Father Time, who watches over the passage of time, this well-known symbol of Lord’s has withstood lightning strikes and World War II and continues to watch over Lord’s, now from a new position after the demolition of Baker’s Grand Stand. At the Nursery End of the stadium is a practice ground for players. The new Compton and Edrich stands, completed in 1991, are at the Nursery End, opposite the Warner Stand and the Allen Stand, respectively.
The J.P. Morgan Media Centre, a futuristic pod built in time for the 1999 World Cup, offers a panoramic view of the ground and sits between the Compton Stand and the Edrich Stand. This aluminum “semi-monocoque” building has increased the usable floor area and added a new, suspended camera platform to improve television coverage. Its sleek design has attracted media attention and won a number of awards, including the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize in 1999. Another well-known feature of the Lord’s ground is its slope, running diagonally from the higher, northwest boundary to the lower, southeast side. This 8-foot (2.5-meter) slope is a remnant of the hilly area in St. John’s Wood where the ground is sited.
To further modernize the facilities and increase seating capacity, the MCC plans to upgrade the Tavern Stand and the Allen Stand, subject to approval from Westminster City Council. Lord’s has managed to retain its preeminent position by preserving the rich history of the game, modernizing its facilities, and working on a diversity, equity, and inclusion plan to make the sport and the ground more inclusive of people it historically disregarded.
