White Conduit Fields

White Conduit Fields in Islington was an early venue for cricket and several major matches are known to have been played there in the 18th century.

[2] Maps from the time show that the cricket field was a few hundred metres north of the White Conduit House, in the land surrounding the modern Richmond Crescent,[3][4] and paintings suggest it was also possibly on the adjacent field to the south at the modern Barnard Park.

This game provoked a legal case when the Rochester players walked off in an attempt to save their stake money, London clearly winning at the time.

The letter said: "A Match at Cricket was made between the little Parish of Dartford in Kent, and the Gentlemen known by the name of the London Club".

[8][9] On Wednesday, 12 August 1730, a London v Kent match began at a place called "Frog Lane" in Islington.

London had a lead of 30 runs when play ended and it was decided to complete the match on Tuesday, 18 August, at Kennington Common.

[2] In 1835 it moved to a more open ground near Copenhagen House, about a mile north of White Conduit Fields, and later played at Holloway, and Alexandra Park[13] until at least the 1890s before disbanding.

[3][4] Eighteenth century paintings also indicate this more northerly location, or possibly the field immediately south of the one shown on the maps for pre-1787 matches.

They show it is situated a few hundred metres directly north of the White Conduit House[15] and close to the Islington Workhouse, which was located just behind on Barnsbury Street.

The Islington Albion Club played at White Conduit Fields from 1805 to 1834, by which time some of the ground, which formed part of the Oldfield dairy farm, had already been lost.