Coxheath Common
| Location | Coxheath, Kent |
|---|---|
| Home club | Kent |
| Establishment | by 1726 |
| Last used | 1789 |
Coxheath Common at Coxheath, Kent was used as a cricket venue for eight top-class matches between 1728 and 1789[1] as well as for a number of minor matches.
The venue was first recorded in 1728 when Edwin Stead's Kent team played against a Sussex team organised by the 2nd Duke of Richmond.[1] Further matches on the common were recorded in 1736 and 1744. By the middle of the 18th century the heath was being used as a military training ground and it was not recorded for cricket again until 1787 when it seems that a "new ground" had been established near the former Star Inn.[2] The location of the original ground (1728 to 1744) is unknown but the Star Inn was located just inside Linton Park at the crossroads of the modern A229 and B2613 roads, and that ground was adjacent to the inn. A total of five matches were played at the Star Inn ground from 1787 to 1789, it's last known use being for a match between the elevens of Sir Horatio Mann and Stephen Amherst in August 1789.[1] Following the Napoleonic Wars, the heath was no longer needed by the military and was enclosed; the modern village is a relatively recent development.
References
- 1 2 3 Classification of cricket matches from 1697 to 1825
- ↑ Buckley, p. 135.
Bibliography
- Buckley, G. B. (1935). Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket. Cotterell.
- Haygarth, Arthur (1862). Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826). Lillywhite. ISBN 1-900592-23-1.
External links
Coordinates: 51°14′N 0°30′E / 51.233°N 0.500°E