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This famous cricket ground is
the home of cricket and England's premier ground for international
and domestic matches.
Lord's and the Marylebone Cricket
Club , the MCC, were created together in 1787 by wine merchant
Thomas Lord and his sponsor, the 9th Earl of Winchilsea.
However, this ground has only been here since 1813, when the
construction of the Regent's Canal forced the club to move
from nearby Lisson Grove.
Today Lord's is the headquarters
of the MCC, the governing body of the sport, and the Middlesex
County Cricket Club. The red-brick Pavilion, dating
from 1890, has the famous weather vane depicting Old Father
Time.
A new addition to the ground
is the innovative NatWest Media Centre. Designed by Future
Systems, this stunning aluminium structure, winner of the
RIBA Sterling Prize in 1999, was built in a boatyard, using
yacht technology. The centre, which can hold 140 reporters,
gives commentators a good view of the pitch
The Marylebone Cricket Club Museum
is a place of pilgrimage for cricket fans, celebrating the
450-year history of game.
With memorabilia and caricatures,
photographs and paintings of notable cricketers, as well as
the 'Ashes' , the charred remains of one of the bails from
the 1882/83 Test series, the object of competition between
the English and Australia.
Features include a reconstruction,
complete with a stuffed sparrow and ball, showing the notorious
shot that killed a passing bird in 1936.
The guided tour shows the ground
from the Mound stand, the Pavilion and the visitor's dressing
room. When not in use the historic Long Room, with portraits
of cricket luminaries such as W G Grace and Don Bradman, can
also be viewed. All competing cricketers must walk through
the room on their way to, and from, the field. The tour
also includes the Real Tennis court, where club members still
play this ancient game.
Visitors to the MCC Museum and
grounds must take the 90 minute guided tour.
Admission charge
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