Chichester, Bath and Kew.
Priory Park, Chichester and the pleasure of visiting somewhere new. With the Park Tavern nearby, it is as atmospheric as it is photogenic; if some grounds are usually photographed from one angle, this one looks good all the way round it.
Bath: the rec., a venue for first-class cricket from the visit of the Gentlemen of Philadelphia in 1897 to Somerset’s departure in 2006. In 2022 the Grade II listed pavilion remains, as do memories of sitting in front it, but alas there was no sign of a pitch the day the photo was taken.
Bath CC: North Parade, on the other side of the road. In recent times Gloucestershire 2nd XI have played here, surprisingly maybe given the historical association of the area with their rivals. Perhaps county first XI’s will return at some point.
Kew Green, which has a rather intimate feel to it, despite the main road over the bridge to the left and the royal entrance to the gardens to the right. Personally as familiar as any, it makes a picture, particularly in high summer.
I often visit Chichester and I’ve seen a few club games there (just off North Street) over the years – it seems so small to have been a first-class ground. Hampshire played Sussex there in the first two years after the War and back in the late 1990s I chatted to Neville Rogers about it – he scored 90 there in 1947; Hampshire won both games.
Interesting Dave, small for county games although maybe not much more so than say May’s Bounty? I thought it was a lovely setting. Hampshire games in the days of Phil Mead as well.