LONDESBOROUGH PARK C C

FOUNDED IN 1860

Londesborough Park Cricket Club was founded by the park owner, the Duke of Devonshire, and the estate was inherited by Lord Londesborough in 1860.

Lord Londesborough readily invested in a professional cricket coach/player to ensure success for the privileged few who enjoyed country-house style cricket - only by invitation of course!!.

The second Lord Londesborough was the second largest landowner in the East Riding after Sir Tatton Sykes and was a close friend of the Prince of Wales. He was a patron of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, sponsoring a couple of matches against Middlesex in 1874 and was one of the prime movers behind the Scarborough Cricket Festival. He went on to become President of the MCC, but he did not forget his roots and tried to keep in touch with matters at the Londesborough Park Cricket Club.

Matches were held regularly on the estate at the Park Farm ground, where the current club still plays. It is thought to have the longest history of continuous use of a cricket ground in East Yorkshire.

In 1905 further sporting developments took place in the Park with the creation of the testing nine-hole golf course. Laid out by the famous Harry Vardon in the magical setting of the rolling parklands, the only remaining evidence until 2003 was the decaying clubhouse. Now demolished around its 100th birthday this left a neat gap in the wood seen to your left just before you climb the last hill out of the park prior to entering back into the village of Londesborough.

The golf club struggled to maintain its membership after the war years due mainly to financial and transport problems which sadly contributed to its closure in 1947.

Countless locals, visiting players and teams (including royalty) from all parts of the country have, since the mid 1800s, enjoyed playing in the unique setting of the Park Estate for what has always been classed as 'friendly' cricket fixtures. This all changed when the Club became a founder member of the newly formed competitive league called the East Riding Cricket Pennant Alliance in 1956.

Just before the move to league cricket off-spinner Bill Featherby, who played twice for Yorkshire, was still plying his trade well into his sixties at the Park. He was born at Goodmanham Lodge, near Market Weighton, and made his county debut against Derbyshire at Sheffield.

Londesborough Park won the East Riding Pennant Alliance League in 1964 and, as a founder member team, strengthened the their club with a second XI joining into the newly-formed East Riding Federation- a league they won in 1985.

` Success in the existing East Riding Sunday Cricket League came in the same year which coincided with a busy period of numerous local evening cup competitions. Again success was regular but at that time Park would enter up to 14 competitions per season. They would always include the Club’s own competition, the Dr. Ashwin Trophy, originally set up by the club’s previous estate owner about 50 years ago to allow local village teams the chance of playing cricket at the ground.In 2004 Anthony Ashwin took over the role of Club President after the loss of his father in March 2003. Anthony's children who live just over the fence at Park Farm already enjoy cricket action with the U11 team.

The Club’s early application, in the 1980s, to join the York and District Senior League was, sadly rejected owing to the primitive state of the pavilion. The set-back provided the Club with the challenge to move forward and they proudly opened a new pavilion in 1998, thanks to Club President, Vice-Presidents, sponsors, members and the National Lottery. The new facilities provided a springboard to rekindle the Club’s thriving youth policy and the Park now sees it as their greatest asset.

In 2002 the clubs 2^nd X1 joined the York & District Senior Cricket League competing  in Division 5, whilst the 1^st X1 continued to challenge both relegation(rarely) and promotion in a very competitive Division 3 of this well respected and thriving league.  

The opening of the new pavilion provided the catalyst to resurrect the junior section and its development of interested juniors aged ranged from 6 to 16. The advent of this surge in interest coupled with obvious pride from more members astounded all concerned with its overwhelming success.

15 players included some retired and current players, plus parents and volunteers came forward over a period of 3or 4 years to train to be qualified club coaches, to support well over 100 keen youngsters. All this number and more taking part in either weekly coaching sessions or playing in the 5 junior competitive league fixtures for Under 9s,11s,13s,15s and 18s. Some did both!

2005 saw more progress by being awarded by the E.C.B.s “Club Mark Accreditation” this confirming the clubs commitment to providing a safe, effective and child friendly cricket club for the community.

Further awards followed in 2006 – L.P.C.C. chosen by E.C.B. & Yorkshire Cricket Board as a “Focus Club”. Recognition for the time and effort put in by the club into its development of both senior and junior cricket. The prestigious national award also presented the club with many challenges like, building further school links, with the club coaches going into all local schools providing fun coaching sessions throughout  the schools summer term.

Additionally the club were required to support local cricket development groups, share best practice, maintain its progressive and growing club development plan, monitor and evaluate initiatives, increase participation from volunteers, players and coaches. Plenty of administration was called for!

Londesborough Park Cricket Club are one of the earliest clubs out of the 750 cricket clubs in Yorkshire to achieve the “Focus Club” award.

To support all the clubs aspirations, it was essential the club fund raising was well planned and ambitious, including Golf days (now in its 11^th year),hog roast evenings, Auctions at Dinner Dances, Xmas Bag Packing, 6 a side competitions both senior and juniors and the usual draws and raffles. At the same time the clubs vice presidents, match ball sponsors along with private donations gave fantastic boost to the cash flow. Additionally the club proved its worth in the community and gained valuable funding from many local companies, major sponsors, plus local authority and national grant award schemes.

The influx of home grown youth certainly guaranteed the team selectors a constant supply of new talent to support the more experienced campaigners.

The club plans to install a new score box in the autumn of 2006 whilst at the same time major ground work will take place to extend the existing playing square to cope with the growth of the games. Not forgetting the new replacement ride on grass cutter for the outfield –whatever happened to that vintage Grey Fergie?  asks the volunteer ground staff (known by some as “the last of the summer wine brigade”) led by the experienced club chairman.    

Grander plans are under discussion by the management committee which outlined a much needed extension to the existing pavilion (the one built 10yrs ago was reduced on size, so as to cost in!!).

All this for the game of cricket – we are sure it’s for a great future.

Could be time for thoughts of yet another Park Cricket Tour – the clubs first was to the Lakes in 1952 & the last one… well…

For those cricketers who over the years have had the pleasure of a game next to Park Farm, Londesborough (along with the challenge of finding the ground), can all count themselves fortunate to have had the experience of cricket on a wonderful ground in a unique and historic setting.—all that for a peppercorn rent to the landlord of just 5p a year……………