| Broadhalfpenny Down | |
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| Location | Hambledon, Hampshire |
| Home club | Hambledon Club |
| County club | Hampshire (pre-county club) |
| Established | by 1756 |
| Last used | 1908 (for major cricket) |
Broadhalfpenny Down, situated on a hilltop about a mile from the rural village of Hambledon in Hampshire, was the home venue of the Hambledon Cricket Club during its halcyon days of the mid to late 18th century. It was used for various sports besides cricket. The famous Bat & Ball Inn, run for many years by Hambledon captain Richard Nyren is immediately next to the Down.
As a venue for first-class cricket, Broadhalfpenny Down was used from 1756 (earliest definite date) until 1781, Hambledon, moving their home ground to near-by Windmill Down the following season. An England XI v Hambledon fixture in 1908 appears in the generally accepted list of first class fixtures. This was intended as a commemorative match and featured famous players C. B. Fry and Phil Mead.
Hampshire cricketer Edward Whalley-Tooker, who played in the 1908 commemorative match, was a descendant of a member of the original Hambledon Club. Following the match in 1908 the Broadhalfpenny Down ground had been reclaimed for farming land. Whalley-Tooker set about the task of securing its use for cricket once again and in 1925 it was restored to host cricket matches. The possession of the land was given to Winchester College, with the college and Hambledon playing the first match there since its restoration. Whalley-Tooker led the Hambledon side to victory.
The name of the ground, "Broadhalfpenny" is properly pronounced "broad ha'penny" a contraction following the usual pronunciation of the word for the halfpenny coin.
The Down
The cricket ground lies on a ridge connecting Broadhalfpenny Down itself to the higher ground to the north at Wether Down and Salt Hill. The ridge and the down to the south are crossed by the Monarch's Way long distance footpath before it descends towards Horndean.
References
- G B Buckley, Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket, Cotterell, 1935
- Arthur Haygarth, Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826), Lillywhite, 1862
- Ashley Mote, The Glory Days of Cricket, Robson, 1997
- John Nyren, The Cricketers of my Time (ed. Ashley Mote), Robson, 1998
- H T Waghorn, The Dawn of Cricket, Electric Press, 1906
External links
Coordinates: 50°56′44″N 1°02′18″W / 50.945678°N 1.038353°W
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