lost grounds

posted by John Winn

The fiftieth anniversary of the publication of The Beeching Report last week was not an opportunity the BBC was likely to pass up and at least three times on one day I saw some nostalgic footage with voice overs by Cliff Michelmore and shots of John Betjeman on various, now long defunct, country railway stations. It put me in mind of the lyrics of a delightful Flanders and Swann song, Slow Train which includes reference to several stations which fell under Beeching's axe. The song's opening line is 'Miller's Dale for Tideswell', a station particularly evocative in the Winn household for it was where my wife caught the train that took her to secondary school in Buxton.The station closed in 1967 and the pupils were taken the eight mile journey by bus. but the buildings survive and the track bed is part of the Monsal Dale long distance path that uses the former Midland Railway route.

Not all the 31 stations listed by Flanders and Swann were closed, ten survive to this day and fortunately for pcws one of the survivors is Chester le Street which will disgorge many passengers when an Ashes test is played at The Riverside for the first time in August. Where CleS was spared others with delightful and romantic names like Mow Cop and Scholar Green, Tumby Woodside and Trouble House Halt are no more. Researching nineteenth century cricket, in particular the archive of 'The Ripon and Richmond Chronicle' has produced many references to places where cricket was played 150 and more years ago but like the station at  Cockermouth for Buttermere the grounds have been put to alternative uses.

Many of the 'lost grounds' were country house grounds at places like Baldersby Park (near Thirsk), Old Sleningford Hall (close to West Tanfield), Grimston Park ( a mile south of Tadcaster) and Maunby Hall (near the confluence of the Swale and Wiske rivers). They sound like lovely places to play or watch cricket. There is an account of York travelling to play against Grimston Park arriving at Ulleskelf Staion in 1868 where they were met by Lord Londonderry's 'four in hand' for the two mile journey to the ground. When Londonderry (Catterick) played Leeming CC in 1859 at Newton House Park, luncheon was provided by the Duchess Dowager of Cleveland who was loudly cheered when she arrived to watch the match in her donkey cart. Must have been a decent lunch.

Not all the reports I have read describe games in country estate parks or have references to nobility. A more down to earth encounter took place in 1868 at the Victoria Grounds near Boroughbridge Station between the 'Woodyard Men' and the 'Brickyard Men' of Messrs JW and W Green with the spoils going to the Brickyard. Another match that intrigued me was that between High Coniscliffe, just out of Darlington on the Barnard Castle road and where I have found no other record of cricket being played, against Drapers' Assistants, who cutting their coats according to their cloth ran out winners.

To access these events I have used micro film records which provide by no means a complete record. Some years are missing altogether, some are incomplete and the cricket reporting is far from systematic but some of the descriptions of matches are delightful. Such a game was that between New Marske and Upleatham in July 1868 where the wickets were 'pitched in a  cart track and the ball behaved in a most capricious and tantalising manner, making obtuse, right and acute angles'. Scores were low.

Finally thanks to Brian for posting April's fixtures .In Friday's posting  I made reference to a picture of Knaresborough Forest's ground covered in many parts by snow last week but passing by on Friday afternoon I saw the groundsman cutting the square so things are looking up but disappointingly, yet understandably the Central Yorkshire League has postponed all its first week's fixtures, scheduled for April 13th, to allow more time for ground preparation.