Lord’s Cricket Ground (London)

Lord’s Cricket Ground, headquarters and home ground of the Marylebone Cricket Club, long the world’s foremost cricket organization, and the scene of Test Matches between England and visiting national teams and of matches of the Middlesex County Cricket Club, Oxford versus Cambridge, and Eton versus Harrow. Various cup finals and one-day international matches also take place there. Lord’s is also the headquarters of the International Cricket Council (the world governing body) and of the Cricket Council and the Test and County Cricket Board, which control English cricket. Around the world, Lord’s is known as the “home” of cricket and of cricketers.

General information

Official website: https://www.lords.org/

Arena capacity: 31,100 spectators

Address: St John’s Wood Rd, London NW8 8QN, United Kingdom

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 51.5298° N, 0.1722° W

Year of construction: 1814

Seating plan of Lord’s Cricket Ground

The Lord’s stadium is located in the city of London. It is a world famous cricket stadium, and it is treated as a tourist place when the matches are not held here. People are given a Red cricket ball as a souvenir, with the name of the stadium inscribed on it. The Lord’s Stadium seating capacity is 28000 and during the big matches, it is houseful and tickets are sold out beforehand.

It is quite tricky to find your seat or the parking space on such days. You can take the help of Lord’s stadium seating chart to locate your seat easily. Lord’s Grandstand seating plan will also help you to find your seats easily. It will assist you in finding the best entry and exit gate as per your seat location. The main stands of Lord’s stadium are shown on the map along with the various amenities. The pavilion is also shown very clearly in the Lord’s stadium seat map.

Lord’s cricket ground seating chart would be useful for many things. The map shows the pitch position, entry gates, nearby roads, bar, Toilets, etc.

Where to buy tickets?

It is advised that you book Lord’s Cricket tickets only by official website and stadium ticket counter. Many Cricket matches are played in here and the ambiance here is quite energetic. The important matches are mostly sold out here and it is quite hard to book Lord’s stadium tickets in such scenarios. Booking the tickets is easy if you buy them in time, that too from the official website and through Lords’ cricket ground ticket counters.

Online tickets are sold on most of the official websites. The tickets are sold on the website and mobile app. Lord’s stadium Ashes online tickets are also available on some of the reselling websites. The ICC official website sells the tickets and it is quite a simple task to get the booking done from there. There are a few of the simple steps for booking the Lord’s stadium tickets online.

1. Visit the official website and login or create an account, search for the respective cricket matches tickets.
2. Proceed to visit the page and look out for the information such as date, time, price and seats.
3. Now visit the match page and you will see the Lord’s stadium seating chart.
4. Select the seats as per your budget and wish, by clicking on the seat shown in Lord’s cricket ground seat layout.
5. Proceed for payment after selecting the desired seats.
6. Once the payment is completed, you will get the tickets at your address/Email Address. You might have to collect the tickets from the Lord’s stadium counters.
7. Ensure that you read the terms and conditions to avoid any issues when you visit Lord’s cricket ground.

If you buy tickets at the counter, the original entry tickets are provided. However, In online mode, the physical tickets are either delivered to you or you have to collect them from the mentioned location. The wait is there in the case of online tickets. Some people still like the old ways of booking tickets, which is to buy the tickets from the stadium ticket counter.

Sellers must disclose all information that is listed on their tickets. For example, obstructed view seats at Lord’s Cricket Ground would be listed for the buyer to consider (or review) prior to purchase. These notes include information regarding if the Lord’s Cricket Ground seat view is a limited view, side view, obstructed view or anything else pertinent.

How to get there?

Lord’s is close to the centre of London and is easy to reach by tube, train, bus and bike.

St John’s Wood is the closest tube station to the ground (approximately five minutes’ walk), while Baker Street, Warwick Avenue, Marylebone and Edgware Road are all also within 15 minutes’ walk.

Visitors travelling to and from central London are advised to alight or board Underground services at Baker Street station and follow a signed walking route at street level. During major events at Lord’s, St John’s Wood station is very busy and a queuing system to enter the station post-match will be in place.

Lord’s is also well served by buses, and several routes run alongside the Ground.

Before making any journey to the Ground using bus, tube or train it is recommended to check TFL Live Travel News.

There are a number of coach companies running services across the country into central London, enabling you to complete your journey on foot, by cycle hire, or via the London Underground or bus networks.

By coach

National Express offers services into London from many towns and cities across the UK. There are 47 routes that travel into London, stopping at towns and cities in England, Wales and Scotland on the way.

Megabus serves London from over 10 routes including Bristol, Cardiff, Sheffield, Heathrow, Leeds, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Newcastle.

FlixBus provides services into London from 47 towns and cities in England, Wales and Scotland, all of which are visible on the Route Map page of the FlixBus website.

By car

We encourage all visitors to use public transport if possible.

If choosing to go by road, the ground is 6 miles from the M1 and 1.5 miles from Marble Arch. It is also close to the M40 and M4.

M40 – from the end of the M40 take the A40 (Westway). Turn left into Lisson Grove. At the end of Lisson Grove, turn right into St. John’s Wood road. Lord’s is on the left.

M1 – from the end of the M1 take the Hendon Way, past Brent Cross Shopping Centre and over the north Circular Road (A406). Turn right on to Finchley Road (A41) and continue to Wellington Road. Pass St. John’s Wood underground station on the left and the Wellington Hospital on the right. Lord’s is on the right.

There are parking restrictions affecting non-residents on the streets surrounding Lord’s and on St John’s Wood High Street on all major match days, so please ensure you do not park in bays which are for residents’ use only.

However, Westminster Council offer parking close to Lord’s at Kingsmill Terrace (NW8 6AA).

If driving is an option, there are car parking facilities both in the vicinity of Lord’s and further afield. You can check local NCP car parks at over 75 TfL stations around London, many of which have ample availability. You can also find public car parks local to Lord’s at QPARK.

Both the Westfield Shopping Centres in Shepherd’s Bush and Stratford have large parking spaces which you can park for up to 24 hours. The Shepherd’s Bush outlet is a 15-minute Tube journey to Baker Street, while Stratford is a direct 30-minute journey on the Tube to St John’s Wood. MCC has no affiliation with Westfield and spectators’ using their car parks bear full responsibility for their vehicle.

Please check Westminster City Council’s website to keep updated on possible parking restrictions in the St John’s Wood area that day.

By Underground

The following stations are all within walking distance of the Ground:

• John’s Wood – Jubilee line (5 mins);
• Baker Street – Bakerloo, Circle, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City lines (15 mins);
• Warwick Avenue – Bakerloo line(15 mins);
• Marylebone – Bakerloo line(15 mins);
• Edgware Road –Bakerloo, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines (15 mins);
• Paddington – Bakerloo, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines (20 mins).

Those travelling by Tube to or from Lord’s requiring step free access are advised to use local bus services from the following stations:

• Kilburn (Jubilee line) – Number 189 bus from stop B (on Shoot-up Hill);
• Golders Green (Northern line) – Number 13 bus from stop GF (within bus station outside the station entrance).

By Bus

The 13 and 113 routes run adjacent to Lord’s on the Wellington Road (to the east of the Ground). These stop closest to the North and East Gates, but are within a comfortable walking distance to the Grace Gate.

The 139 and 189 routes run adjacent to Lord’s on Grove End Road (to the west of the Ground). These routes stop closest to the Grace Gate, but are a short walk from the East and North Gates.

By Train

The nearest main line railway station is Marylebone, served by Chiltern Railways, which is approximately ten minutes’ walk from the Ground. Marylebone Station is on the Chiltern line.

Paddington Station is approximately twenty minutes’ walk from the Ground, for services to West and South-West England and South Wales.

Euston, King’s Cross and St Pancras International stations are only a short journey away.

By Bike

A number of bike racks are available outside the Ground for cyclists to lock their bikes.

There are several Cycle Hire docking stations within five minutes’ walk of the Ground, on Abbey Road, St John’s Wood Road, Wellington Road, Lodge Road, Lisson Grove and Prince Albert Road.

Where to eat and sleep?

Whether you’re in a mood for a light snack and a tipple pre-match or a hearty feast afterwards, we’ve got you covered.

1. Lord’s Tavern. Cricket-themed pub providing classic dishes, located outside the stadium. Address: Lord’s Cricket Ground, St John’s Wood Rd, St John’s Wood, London NW8 8QN.
2. Crockers Folly. Lebanese restaurant and hotel with four dining rooms which was opened in the mid-1890s. Address: 24 Aberdeen Pl, St John’s Wood, London NW8 8JR.
3. Original Lahore Restaurant. Offering Asian cuisine since 1970. Table seating or takeway available. Address: 2-4 Gateforth Street, London, NW8 8EH.
4. Watch Korean meat and vegetables cooked in your view in a barbecue style. Address: 451 Edgware Road, Little Venice, London, W2 1TH.
5. Oslo Court. Spanish run restaurant specialising in French cuisine and seafood. Address: Oslo Court, Charlbert St, London, NW8 7EN.

Ready for a Blood Orange Margarita or a Passion Fruit Bellini? We heard it’s cocktail o’clock!

1. The Globe. Quaint bar just by Marylebone station specialising in craft beer. Address: 47 Lisson Grove, Marylebone, London NW1 6UB.
2. The Windsor Castle. Slick and classy establishment which is good for groups. Address: 98 Park Road, Marylebone, London, NW1 4SH.
3. The Golden Eagle. Traditional British pub with plentiful real ale. Address: 59 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2NW.
4. The Mason Arms. Open since 1848, a traditional feel is provided by the wood benches yet the Thai food gives it a modern touch. Address: 58 Devonshire St, Marylebone, W1W 5EA.
5. The Duke of York. Specialising in cocktails with a variety of other drinks on offer. Address: No.2 St Anne’s Terrace, St John’s Wood, London, NW8 6PJ.

Architectural Aspects

Lord’s Cricket Ground is an umbrella structure, an open-air space, evoking the atmosphere of sunny afternoons of cricket interspersed with tea in a marquee. Each layer of this building records a period in the history of building technology. The base comprises load-bearing brick arches, the next level is steel framing with concrete block infill, above that is a floor built as a steel box, and then finally one arrives under the membrane cones with masts and cables. There is a progressive sophistication and lightening of the construction floor by floor.

The six masts, extended from the columns below, support truncated fabric cones with bases roughly twice the width of a structural bay. Between these are a series of larger cone which sit slightly higher, generating a rhythmic pattern of major and minor peaks and troughs. The fabric is PVC coated polyester fibre in panels with clamped joints. The pick-up is made by means of a steel ring at the top of each cone which spreads the load into the material.

From each of the masts horizontal booms project forwards and backwards beyond the edge of the fabric roof. Because the masts are placed eccentricity under their load, with the side facing the cricket being heavier, no cables are required to be tied down into the public seating area where they might interfere with a view of the game. At the back great brackets of steel tubes tie down to the plate girder rear wall of the floor below. From the extremities of the booms the edge cables are pulled into a horizontal catenary by the tension of the fabric, giving the roof its festive wavy edge.

Part of the success of this structure is that it appears to float over the Mound Stand supported as it is by only 6 masts, each 18,3 m apart, with tubular steel booms reaching forward and back. From the top of the mast, cables support fabric pickup rings at column positions and at midspan. The front and rear edges of the fabric are attached in 3,66 m scallops to external boundary cables which connect to the boom ends. Valley cables pass over the fabric from the front to the rear catenary between the pick rings and pull it into shape with the curvature needed in these areas. The front booms are tied down by cables to the front of the upper promenade while the rear frames resist transverse forces from the wind and out-of-balance loading. They must also resist the overall force towards the pitch caused by the longitudinal tension in the fabric passing around the curve.

The ends of the roof are held out by booms radiating from the end masts and tied together at their ends. Thus, all the booms are connected around the perimeter. Lazy cables from the mast heads support the ends of the booms if the fabric should fail. The longitudinal tension in the roof is resisted by end frames, which cantilever up from the ends of the spine beam.

All the steel work joints are pinned apart from those at the base of the masts. This allows the structure to change its geometry and so to maintain equilibrium under changing load. The cables linking the tops of the masts continue down to the end frames and resist out-of-balance loads between bays and also give an alternative load path should the fabric or its supporting cables fail.

The fabric is PVC coated polyester treated with PVDF on the upper surface to improve durability. The roof came as seven panels, one for each 18,3 m bay and two end panels. They were joined by aluminum clamp plates. The final erection was carried out by fixing the boundary points and then pulling the rings up to the correct level. All the cables and boundary tubes were provided with adjustment as were most of the fabric attachment points. A total of 130 different cutting patterns were calculated for this roof to account for the slightly irregular plan shape of the Mound Stand.

History

Cricket has been played on the Lord’s site since the early 19th century, after the Marylebone Cricket Club were formed by Thomas Lord. Among the first notable matches played were Eton v Harrow, the first Gentleman v Players clash and the varsity game between Oxford and Cambridge.

Middlesex CCC took up residence in 1877 before the first Test match was contested between England and Australia seven years later, with the hosts winning by an innings and five runs.