Prince of Wales Ground
Encyclopedia
The Prince of Wales Ground, also known as "Prince's Ground", in Brighton
, Sussex
was a venue for major cricket matches in the closing years of the 18th century .
and its surroundings. The land was originally donated to the Brighton Cricket Club
by the then Prince of Wales
. His patronage helped Brighton to become a powerful club that sparked a revival in the fortunes of Sussex cricket which lasted well into the 19th century.
The Brighton club was representative of Sussex as a county and it ultimately became the main instrument in the formation of Sussex CCC in 1839.
From July 1814, it occupied the Royal New Ground
(also known as Thomas Box
's Ground), another Brighton venue, which was used for 49 major matches until September 1847 and was the county ground of Sussex CCC in its early years . From 1848 to 1871, Sussex CCC used the Royal Brunswick Ground
in Brighton, also known as C H Gausden's Ground . Since 1872, the club has been based at the County Cricket Ground, Hove
.
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
was a venue for major cricket matches in the closing years of the 18th century .
Location
The ground was on a site now occupied by Park CrescentPark Crescent, Brighton
Park Crescent is a mid-19th-century residential development in the Round Hill area of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. The horseshoe-shaped, three-part terrace of 48 houses was designed and built by one of Brighton's most important architects, Amon Henry Wilds; by the...
and its surroundings. The land was originally donated to the Brighton Cricket Club
Brighton Cricket Club
Brighton Cricket Club was based at Brighton, Sussex and was briefly a major cricket team, playing four known first-class matches in the 1792 season, at which time it was representative of Sussex as a county....
by the then Prince of Wales
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. His patronage helped Brighton to become a powerful club that sparked a revival in the fortunes of Sussex cricket which lasted well into the 19th century.
Matches
Only four major cricket matches were ever played at the ground. All of them took place between September 1791 and September 1792 .Aftermath
As the towns of Brighton and Hove developed, the land was sold a few years later and the cricket club moved to a new site in Brighton at Temple Fields, which was where Montpelier Crescent is now.The Brighton club was representative of Sussex as a county and it ultimately became the main instrument in the formation of Sussex CCC in 1839.
From July 1814, it occupied the Royal New Ground
Royal New Ground
The Royal New Ground, also known as "Box's Ground", in Brighton, Sussex was a venue for first-class cricket matches from 1814 to 1847.The ground was the home of Brighton Cricket Club and became the county ground of Sussex CCC when this was formed in 1839...
(also known as Thomas Box
Thomas Box
Thomas Box was a famous English cricketer who is remembered as one of the most outstanding wicketkeepers of the 19th century.-Player:...
's Ground), another Brighton venue, which was used for 49 major matches until September 1847 and was the county ground of Sussex CCC in its early years . From 1848 to 1871, Sussex CCC used the Royal Brunswick Ground
Royal Brunswick Ground
The Royal Brunswick Ground, also known as "C H Gausden's Ground", in Brighton, Sussex was a venue for first-class cricket matches from 1848 to 1871....
in Brighton, also known as C H Gausden's Ground . Since 1872, the club has been based at the County Cricket Ground, Hove
County Cricket Ground, Hove
The County Cricket Ground, also known as the Probiz County Ground for sponsorship reasons, is a cricket venue in Hove, England. It is home to Sussex County Cricket Club. It is one of the few county grounds to have deckchairs for spectators - which are in the colours of Sussex CCC - blue and white....
.
External sources
Further reading
- Derek BirleyDerek BirleySir Derek Birley was an English educator and writer who had a strong interest in sport, especially cricket.He was educated at grammar school in Hemsworth, West Yorkshire, and at Queens' College, Cambridge University....
, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum, 1999 - G B Buckley, Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket, Cotterell, 1935
- Arthur HaygarthArthur HaygarthArthur Haygarth was a noted amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians....
, Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826), Lillywhite, 1862 - Timothy J McCannTimothy J McCannTimothy J. McCann has been an archivist at the West Sussex Record Office in Chichester since 1967. He has written several books about the history of Sussex including a classic work on cricket: Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century...
, Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century, Sussex Record Society, 2004