Broadhalfpenny Down
Encyclopedia
Broadhalfpenny Down, situated on a hilltop about a mile from the rural village of Hambledon
in Hampshire
, was the home venue for first-class cricket
matches of the Hambledon Club
from 1753 to 1781. It was used for other sports besides cricket
, including horse racing
.
, erroneously known as the "cradle of cricket", is immediately next to the Down and its landlord for 10 years from 1762 to 1772 was Hambledon
captain
Richard Nyren
. Nyren was succeeded by his Hambledon colleague William Barber
, who ran the pub from 1772 to 1784.
As a venue for first-class cricket
, Broadhalfpenny Down was used from 1753 (the recently discovered earliest definite date) until 1781, after which the Hambledon Club moved to Windmill Down
, which is closer to the village.
Subsequently, an England XI v Hambledon fixture in 1908 appears in the generally accepted list of first-class fixtures. This was intended as a commemorative match and featured famous players C. B. Fry and Phil Mead
.
Hampshire
cricketer Edward Whalley-Tooker
, who played in the 1908 match, was a descendant of a member of the original Hambledon Club. Following the match in 1908 the Broadhalfpenny Down ground had been reclaimed for farming land. Whalley-Tooker set about the task of securing its use for cricket once again and in 1925 it was restored to host cricket matches. The possession of the land was given to Winchester College
, with the college and Hambledon playing the first match there since its restoration. Whalley-Tooker led the Hambledon side to victory.
The name of the ground, "Broadhalfpenny" is properly pronounced "broad ha'penny" a contraction following the usual pronunciation of the word for the halfpenny coin. Places that had obtained a charter from the King to hold markets or establish fairs were issued with Letters Patent that were stamped with "Broad-Halfpenny".
long distance footpath before it descends towards Horndean
.
Hambledon, Hampshire
Hambledon is a small village and civil parish in the county of Hampshire in England, situated about north of Portsmouth.Hambledon is best known as the 'Cradle of Cricket'. It is thought that Hambledon Club, one of the oldest cricket clubs known, was formed about 1750...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, was the home venue for first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches of the Hambledon Club
Hambledon Club
The Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England.-Foundation:...
from 1753 to 1781. It was used for other sports besides cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, including horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
.
Bat & Ball Inn
The famous Bat & Ball InnBat & Ball Inn, Clanfield
The Bat & Ball Inn near Clanfield, Hampshire, England, is an historic eighteenth century pub situated opposite the Broadhalfpenny Down cricket ground, the original home of the Hambledon Club. It is traditionally, though erroneously, called "the cradle of cricket".Richard Nyren, a landlord of the...
, erroneously known as the "cradle of cricket", is immediately next to the Down and its landlord for 10 years from 1762 to 1772 was Hambledon
Hambledon Club
The Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England.-Foundation:...
captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
Richard Nyren
Richard Nyren
Richard "Dick" Nyren was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket during the 1760s and 1770s in the heyday of the Hambledon Club...
. Nyren was succeeded by his Hambledon colleague William Barber
William Barber (cricketer)
William Barber was an English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club in its great days during the 1760s and 1770s. Originally from Walberton, near Chichester, he came to Hambledon to play after being "spotted" .Barber finished playing in 1777...
, who ran the pub from 1772 to 1784.
Cricket venue
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
, Broadhalfpenny Down was used from 1753 (the recently discovered earliest definite date) until 1781, after which the Hambledon Club moved to Windmill Down
Windmill Down
Windmill Down is a rural location near the town of Hambledon in Hampshire. It was used as a venue for major cricket matches in the 18th century and from 1782 as the home of the Hambledon Club.-Opening of Windmill Down:...
, which is closer to the village.
Subsequently, an England XI v Hambledon fixture in 1908 appears in the generally accepted list of first-class fixtures. This was intended as a commemorative match and featured famous players C. B. Fry and Phil Mead
Phil Mead
Charles Phillip Mead was a left-handed batsman for Hampshire and England between 1905 and 1936. He was born at 10 Ashton Buildings , second eldest of seven children...
.
Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
cricketer Edward Whalley-Tooker
Edward Whalley-Tooker
Edward Whalley-Tooker was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a slow underarm bowler. He was one of the last cricketers to use this bowling style. Whalley-Tooker played two first-class matches for Hampshire.Whalley-Tooker made his first-class debut against the local rivals...
, who played in the 1908 match, was a descendant of a member of the original Hambledon Club. Following the match in 1908 the Broadhalfpenny Down ground had been reclaimed for farming land. Whalley-Tooker set about the task of securing its use for cricket once again and in 1925 it was restored to host cricket matches. The possession of the land was given to Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, with the college and Hambledon playing the first match there since its restoration. Whalley-Tooker led the Hambledon side to victory.
The name of the ground, "Broadhalfpenny" is properly pronounced "broad ha'penny" a contraction following the usual pronunciation of the word for the halfpenny coin. Places that had obtained a charter from the King to hold markets or establish fairs were issued with Letters Patent that were stamped with "Broad-Halfpenny".
The Down
The cricket ground lies on a ridge connecting Broadhalfpenny Down itself to the higher ground to the north at Wether Down and Salt Hill. The ridge and the down to the south are crossed by the Monarch's WayMonarch's Way
The Monarch's Way is a long-distance footpath in England that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester.Most of the footpath is waymarked...
long distance footpath before it descends towards Horndean
Horndean
Horndean is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 8 miles north of Portsmouth.The nearest railway station is 2.2 miles southeast of the village at Rowlands Castle....
.