Greatest Cricket Moments

Lord's Middle Ground Closes for the Regent's Canal — September 1813

1813-09-04MCC vs EpsomFinal match at Lord's Middle Ground, MCC v Epsom, 4-5 September 18131 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

On 4-5 September 1813 the MCC played Epsom in the final match at Lord's Middle Ground at North Bank — Thomas Lord's second cricket ground, opened only four years earlier in 1809. The site had been compulsorily purchased for an extension of the Regent's Canal. The closure forced Lord to find a third site, which he duly opened on St John's Wood Road in 1814 — the present Lord's.

Background

The Regent's Canal scheme had been authorised by Parliament in 1812. Compulsory purchase of the Middle Ground was an inevitable consequence.

What Happened

The Middle Ground at North Bank had been opened in May 1809 as a hasty replacement for Dorset Square. Within four years the canal commissioners had served notice for compulsory purchase: the Regent's Canal needed to cut through the site to link the City Road basin to the Paddington branch. The September 1813 MCC v Epsom match was the last on the ground; the closure was reported in the cricket press with some bitterness, since Lord had only just established the new site as a major venue. Lord secured the St John's Wood Road site over the following winter.

Timeline

May 1809

Middle Ground opens at North Bank

1812

Regent's Canal Act passed

4-5 Sep 1813

Final match: MCC v Epsom

22 Jun 1814

St John's Wood Road ground opens

Aftermath

Lord's St John's Wood Road site — the present ground — opened on 22 June 1814. The Middle Ground site was cut by the canal and is now occupied by Lord's Tunnel and the surrounding streets.

⚖️ The Verdict

The second of three Lord's ground closures — and the most rapid: just four years between opening and shutting.

Legacy & Impact

The Middle Ground's brief life is the most-overlooked phase of Lord's history. Many of the great Regency matches — Beauclerk's 1810s, Osbaldeston's debut, the 1811 wide-ball law trials — were played there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was the Middle Ground exactly?▾
On the North Bank, near where the Regent's Canal now passes under Lord's Tunnel. The site is bisected by the canal and underlies parts of present-day Eyre Estate streets.

Tags

#regency-cricket#underarm#thomas-lord#middle-ground#regents-canal#1813#iconic-moment#ground-closure

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