The Artillery Ground

The Artillery Ground in London, located in Finsbury in Central London, on the edge of the City, staged more Important Matches in the Eighteenth Century than any other ground. This fact alone makes it hugely significant in the history of cricket. Remarkably, it remains in current use, still owned by the Honourable Artillery Company. Its story says a great deal about the development of cricket from a rural pastime to a professional sport.

History

Pre-cricket

The Artillery Ground was originally the outer precinct of the Priory and Hospital of St Mary Spital. In 1538, King Henry VIII converted it into an artillery ground for the Fraternity or Guild of Artillery of Longbows, Crossbows and Handguns. This group later became known as the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), who retain the ground to this day. The HAC had a reputation as the fashionable militia for sons of wealthy London citizens.

Heyday as a cricket ground

In the early part of the Eighteenth Century, cricket was gaining ground rapidly, not merely as a rural or school pursuit but as a game played in London by adults for high stakes and on which large sums were wagered. Places like Blackheath, Kennington Common and White Conduit Fields had staged Important Matches. At this time, it was the Artillery Ground that emerged as the venue most able to fill the need for a leading venue for financially important cricket matches. It was the home of the London Cricket Club, and nearly all matches took place under their name, so the story of the ground is closely entwined with the history of that club.

Our first record of cricket being played on the ground was 1724, and the first Important match, 1730. The first lessor and manager of the ground we know of was Christopher Jones, landlord of the nearby Pied Horse Inn. Jones’ successor, both as ground lessor and pub landlord, was George Smith, noted for his entrepreneurship and successful promotion of the ground. The ground was fenced off, so he was able to charge for admission, generally 2d, even for big matches, the entrance being through the yard of the Pied Horse Inn. The ground, it seems, was often full for matches (attendances of up to 8,000 were reported), generally with working-class spectators rather than wealthy patrons, who nevertheless did attend and were accommodated in special seating areas.

One match, between England and Kent in 1744, experienced crowd trouble, so steps were taken to prevent to recurrence. A ring of benches was set around the ground, stewards were employed who wielded whips, and the admission price rose to 6d. The rise in admission prices did not work, and crowds fell abruptly. In 1748, Smith was declared bankrupt, though he somehow retained control of the ground until 1752.

A ticket for a match at the Artillery Ground, England v Kent (1744). The engraving is from Boitard, Smith is the name of the Artillery ground promoter. The price, two shillings, six pence, is quite expensive, perhaps £40 in today’s money. What a wonderful survival!

By then, cricket in the capital was losing something of its lustre. The Artillery Ground itself was developing a reputation for disorderly conduct and for the prevalence of gambling. Perhaps it was just slipping out of fashion. In any case, this sense of decline was accelerated by the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763), which, it seems, made London a less attractive place for the aristocracy and caused a retreat to rural estates. Only five Important matches were held in the 1760s, and though there were more matches in the 1770s, they did not have the same impact as those of earlier years. In any case, they were not welcomed by the owners, and in 1773, the HAC attempted to block all cricket from the ground. Although some major matches continued through to 1778, that was to be the end of the ground’s life as a major cricket venue.

Modern times

The first ever balloon flight in the United Kingdom was that of Mr. Vincent Lunardi, who took off from the Artillery Ground in 1784.

In 1834, the HAC was petitioned with a request to resume hosting matches, with one argument being that it would attract potential recruits to the company. Cricket eventually restarted in 1846, but was limited to members of the HAC and the HAC CC was formally founded in 1860. The HAC runs a strong fixture list to this day.

Google Earth view of the Ground as it is now. The other feature that survives from the great days of the ground is the non-Conformist Bunhill Fields Burial Ground to the North; it was then the case that there were fewer obstacles between the burial ground and the cricket field. There are many records of people climbing the walls of the burial ground to get a sight of the action or, perhaps, to get in without payment.

The Artillery Ground is now surrounded on all sides by substantial buildings, it is a little-known island of greenery in the midst of incredibly valuable real estate.

The match in progress here is HAC v MCC, 2022, a fixture loaded with historic resonance. The gun is for effect only.

A game at the Artillery Ground, 2021:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/tG2a7QnNihM?si=r5nbaqGuE2oUHohC

Famous illustration

An engraving by C. Benoist, after an Oil painting by Francis Hayman, RA, based on the earliest depiction of a cricket match that we know of; obviously, this is a very important artwork and one that is much copied. The original by Hayman is now lost but used to hang in a supper-box at Vauxhall Gardens (opened 1735).

The painting has come to be known as Cricket at the Artillery Ground, but this is a misnomer. The picture was originally described as A Game of Cricket as played in the Artillery Ground, and the misunderstanding arose from that. In fact, the Artillery Ground was walled in, so this picture is obviously of somewhere else.

Important Matches

Date Home team Away team
1 31 Aug 1730 London Surrey
2 04 Sep 1730 London Surrey
3 05 Jun 1731 London Dartford
4 24 Jun 1731 London Dartford
5 05 Jul 1731 London Dartford
6 26 Jul 1731 London Croydon
7 15 Sep 1731 London Croydon
8 07 Jun 1732 London Surrey
9 29 Aug 1732 London Surrey
10 11 Sep 1732 London Surrey
11 13 Sep 1732 London Middlesex
12 28 May 1733 London Greenwich
13 05 Jul 1733 London Kent
14 12 Sep 1733 London Kent
15 26 Sep 1733 London Croydon
16 19 Jun 1734 London Kent
17 01 Aug 1734 London Croydon
18 18 Jun 1735 London Surrey
19 Jul 1736 London Chertsey
20 14 Jul 1736 London Surrey
21 25 Jul 1737 London Essex
22 Jul 1738 London Chislehurst
23 11 Aug 1738 London Mitcham
24 Sep 1738 London Chislehurst
25 27 Jun 1739 London Lingfield
26 23 Jul 1739 England Kent
27 05 Sep 1739 London Chislehurst
28 Jun 1740 London Chislehurst
29 16 Jul 1740 London Richmond and Moulsey
30 28 Jul 1740 London Kent
31 15 Sep 1740 London Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire
32 15 Jun 1741 London Surrey
33 03 Jul 1741 London Chislehurst
34 31 Jul 1741 London Surrey
35 14 Sep 1741 London Surrey
36 14 Jun 1742 London Bromley
37 07 Jul 1742 London Richmond
38 26 Jul 1742 London Croydon
39 09 Aug 1742 London Bromley
40 16 Aug 1742 London and Surrey Kent, Croydon and Slindon
41 02 Sep 1742 London Surrey
42 06 Sep 1742 London Slindon
42 10 Sep 1742 London Slindon
43 13 Jun 1743 London Woburn
44 27 Jun 1743 London Bromley and Chislehurst
45 18 Jul 1743 London Richmond, Kingston and Egham
46 25 Jul 1743 London Addington
47 08 Aug 1743 London Woburn
48 29 Aug 1743 London Sevenoaks
49 05 Sep 1743 London Horsmonen and Weald
50 12 Sep 1743 London Horsmonen and Weald
51 14 Sep 1743 London Sevenoaks
52 19 Sep 1743 London Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Middlesex
53 21 May 1744 England Surrey
54 02 Jun 1744 London Slindon
55 18 Jun 1744 England Kent
56 05 Jul 1744 not known not known
57 21 Jul 1744 London Woburn
58 30 Jul 1744 London Addington
59 27 Aug 1744 London Surrey
60 03 Sep 1744 London Bromley
61 07 Sep 1744 London Surrey
62 10 Sep 1744 London Slindon
63 12 Sep 1744 Addington Slindon
64 14 Sep 1744 Bromley Slindon
65 19 Sep 1744 not known not known
66 27 May 1745 London Addington
67 10 Jun 1745 London Bromley
68 17 Jun 1745 London Bromley
69 26 Jun 1745 Long Robin’s XI R Newland’s XI
70 05 Jul 1745 Long Robin’s XI R Newland’s XI
71 13 Jul 1745 not known not known
72 15 Jul 1745 England Kent
73 22 Jul 1745 Addington and Lingfield Surrey
74 07 Aug 1745 London Kingston
75 12 Aug 1745 London Addington
76 19 Aug 1745 Surrey Sussex
77 16 Sep 1745 Addington and Lingfield Surrey
78 28 Sep 1745 Hills of Kent Dales of Kent
79 19 May 1746 Addington Bromley
80 09 Jun 1746 London and Surrey Addington and Lingfield
81 23 Jun 1746 Kent Surrey
82 02 Jul 1746 London Westminster
83 14 Jul 1746 Addington and Bromley Surrey and Kent
84 30 Jul 1746 London Edmonton
85 04 Aug 1746 England Kent
86 25 Aug 1746 London Edmonton
87 01 Sep 1746 London and Chislehurst Addington
88 01 Jun 1747 London Addington and Croydon
89 15 Jun 1747 London Addington and Croydon
90 29 Jun 1747 London Dartford
91 09 Jul 1747 Long Robin’s XI W Hodsoll’s XI
92 17 Aug 1747 London Ripley and Bromley
93 24 Aug 1747 London Hadlow
94 31 Aug 1747 England Kent
95 13 Jun 1748 England Kent
96 18 Jul 1748 London Croydon
97 15 Aug 1748 London Deptford and Greenwich
98 29 May 1749 London and Bromley Addington
99 05 Jun 1749 England Surrey
100 21 Jun 1749 London Richmond and Ripley
101 26 Jun 1749 Long Robin’s XI S Dingate’s XI
102 14 Aug 1749 London Bearsted
103 18 Jun 1750 not known not known
104 09 Jul 1750 Kent Surrey
105 20 Jul 1750 Kent Surrey
106 08 Aug 1750 London Hampton
107 13 May 1751 Surrey London
108 20 May 1751 England Kent
109 22 May 1751 England Kent
110 19 Aug 1751 London Country XI
111 15 Jul 1752 London Bromley
112 29 Jul 1752 London Edmonton
113 15 Aug 1753 not known not known
114 30 Aug 1753 London Marylebone
115 01 Jul 1754 London Dartford
116 21 Jul 1755 London Waltham
117 08 Aug 1755 London Surrey and Middlesex
118 30 Aug 1756 Dartford Hambledon
119 06 Sep 1756 London Dartford
120 25 Jul 1757 London Surrey
121 16 Aug 1758 London and Surrey Kent
122 30 Aug 1762 London Kent
123 22 Aug 1763 Middlesex Surrey
124 19 Aug 1765 Dartford Surrey
125 17 Aug 1769 London Kent
126 24 Aug 1769 London Kent
127 20 Aug 1770 London and Middlesex Surrey
128 05 Aug 1771 Kent, Middlesex and Surrey Coulsdon
129 04 Sep 1771 Duke of Dorset’s XI Sir H Mann’s XI
130 02 Jul 1773 England Hampshire
131 22 Aug 1774 London Chertsey
132 29 May 1775 not known not known
133 10 Jul 1775 London and Kent Coulsdon
134 28 Aug 1775 London, Kent and Surrey Chertsey
135 19 Aug 1776 London Brentford
136 09 Sep 1776 London Coulsdon
137 15 Sep 1777 England Hampshire
138 24 Aug 1778 London Dartford
139 15 Sep 1778 England Chertsey