Bishopsbourne Paddock

Bishopsbourne Paddock, also known as Bourne Paddock, was a cricket venue located within the grounds of Bourne Park House, the seat of Sir Horatio Mann, at Bishopsbourne in Kent. It is around 4 miles (6.4 km) south-east of Canterbury. The Paddock staged several top-class matches from 1766 to 1790.

Bourne Park House with the site of the cricket field, including an old pavilion and an iron pitch roller, to the left of the image

Archaeology

Archaeological surveys have shown that the site was settled during the Iron Age and Roman periods. In the field which contained the cricket pitch, cropmarks representing a possible Roman building were observed in aerial photos. The survey report says of the cricket venue:^[1]

The cricket pitch is an historic feature in its own right: referred to as 'Bishopsbourne Paddock', it was home to first-class matches of the Bourne Cricket Club, the county team patronised by Sir Horatio Mann in the 18th century, which drew huge crowds and made Bourne Park a significant sporting venue.

The report added that the cricket pitch is no longer in use. The park as a whole is now pasture for sheep grazing, and a recreational area for walkers.^[1]

Matches

As a cricket venue, the Paddock is first mentioned in a brief report by the Kentish Weekly Post in September 1766. This was found by F. S. Ashley-Cooper during his researches in the 1920s, but those were not published. Instead, as explained by Ian Maun, they were archived by Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord's.^[2] Ashley-Cooper's record of the match reads: "Bourne v. Dartford at Bishopsbourne Paddock. No details".^[3][4]

In 1767, the Paddock staged a match between Bourne and Surrey. This was announced by the Kentish Weekly Post on 5 August, calling the venue "Bourn Paddock" and the team "Bourn".^[5]

The Paddock continued to stage top-class matches on a frequent basis while Mann was resident at Bourne Park House. He departed in September 1790, and the last known match in the Paddock was played on the 7th of that month between the East and West Kent cricket teams. Mann's team, East Kent, had Richard Purchase of Hampshire as a given man, and was captained by the Earl of Winchilsea. West Kent were led by Stephen Amherst. In Scores and Biographies, the venue and date are given as "In BISHOPSBOURNE PADDOCK, near Canterbury, Sept. 7, 1790".^[6] West Kent won by 130 runs, largely thanks to William Brazier, who scored 58 in the second innings, and the fast bowling of Thomas Boxall and William Bullen.^[7]