Clarence Park (St Albans)
Encyclopedia
Clarence Park is a park containing a multi-use stadium
in St Albans
, England
. It is located close to St Albans City railway station.
The park was laid out in early 1894, and comprises a 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) municipal sports ground and a 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) public park and pleasure ground. The benefactor, Sir John Maple, the owner of Maple's furniture store in Tottenham Court Road
and who lived at nearby Childwickbury
, donated the land and paid for the laying out, the planting and the construction of the buildings; the layout of the park itself was designed by the City Surveyor, Mr G. Ford. A striking water fountain, which can still be seen today, was donated by Lady Maple.
The park was opened on 23 July 1894 by the Duke of Cambridge
, a member of the British Royal Family
, and the event was accompanied by great celebrations in the city of St Albans.
The stadium is currently mostly used for hockey matches and is also the home ground of St Albans City Football Club
. The stadium has a capacity of 4,500 people.
The sports ground area includes the stadium plus hockey/tennis areas, whilst the public park includes large grassy areas used for sun bathing and games during summer, a bandstand, a children's play-park and a café. The public park is also used as the site of some of the human "Peopletown" skits on Disney Channel
's preschool series Bunnytown
.
In the summer, there are regular concerts on the bandstand.
ground. The first recorded match played on the cricket ground came in 1875, when Hertfordshire played Somerset
. The first Minor Counties Championship match played on the ground came in 1895 when Hertfordshire played Bedfordshire
. From 1895 to 1997, the ground hosted 84 Minor Counties Championship matches and 2 MCCA Knockout Trophy
matches.
The cricket ground has played host to 2 List-A matches, he first of which came in the 1984 NatWest Trophy
between Hertfordshire and Somerset. The second and final List-A match played on the ground came in the 1990 NatWest Trophy
between Hertfordshire and Warwickshire
.
The ground also hosted a single match in the 1973 Women's Cricket World Cup
, which was contested between New Zealand women
and Trinidad and Tobago women. In local domestic cricket, the ground is the home of St Albans Cricket Club who play in the Home Counties Premier Cricket League
Division Two.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located close to St Albans City railway station.
The park was laid out in early 1894, and comprises a 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) municipal sports ground and a 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) public park and pleasure ground. The benefactor, Sir John Maple, the owner of Maple's furniture store in Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road is a major road in central London, United Kingdom, running from St Giles Circus north to Euston Road, near the border of the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile...
and who lived at nearby Childwickbury
Childwickbury Manor
Childwick Bury Manor is a manor in Hertfordshire, England, between St Albans and Harpenden. Previous owners were the Lomax family who bought the house in 1666 and who lived there until 1854 when Joshua Lomax sold it to Henry Hayman Toulmin, a wealthy ship owner and High Sheriff of Hertfordshire and...
, donated the land and paid for the laying out, the planting and the construction of the buildings; the layout of the park itself was designed by the City Surveyor, Mr G. Ford. A striking water fountain, which can still be seen today, was donated by Lady Maple.
The park was opened on 23 July 1894 by the Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a male-line grandson of King George III. The Duke was an army officer and served as commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895...
, a member of the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, and the event was accompanied by great celebrations in the city of St Albans.
The stadium is currently mostly used for hockey matches and is also the home ground of St Albans City Football Club
St Albans City F.C.
St Albans City Football Club is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and plays its home matches at Clarence Park, about 800 yards from the city centre. The club is in the Premier Division of the Southern League...
. The stadium has a capacity of 4,500 people.
The sports ground area includes the stadium plus hockey/tennis areas, whilst the public park includes large grassy areas used for sun bathing and games during summer, a bandstand, a children's play-park and a café. The public park is also used as the site of some of the human "Peopletown" skits on Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
's preschool series Bunnytown
Bunnytown
Bunnytown is a children's television series that airs on Playhouse Disney's block in the United States and Canada, as well as more than seventy other countries...
.
In the summer, there are regular concerts on the bandstand.
Cricket ground
Next to the football ground is a cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground. The first recorded match played on the cricket ground came in 1875, when Hertfordshire played Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
. The first Minor Counties Championship match played on the ground came in 1895 when Hertfordshire played Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Bedfordshire and competing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play three-day...
. From 1895 to 1997, the ground hosted 84 Minor Counties Championship matches and 2 MCCA Knockout Trophy
MCCA Knockout Trophy
The Minor Counties Cricket Association Knockout Cup was started in 1983 as a knockout one-day competition for the Minor Counties in English cricket...
matches.
The cricket ground has played host to 2 List-A matches, he first of which came in the 1984 NatWest Trophy
1984 NatWest Trophy
The 1984 NatWest Trophy was the 4th NatWest Trophy. It was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 4 July and 1 September 1984...
between Hertfordshire and Somerset. The second and final List-A match played on the ground came in the 1990 NatWest Trophy
1990 NatWest Trophy
The 1990 NatWest Trophy was the 10th NatWest Trophy. It was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 27 June and 1 September 1990...
between Hertfordshire and Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
.
The ground also hosted a single match in the 1973 Women's Cricket World Cup
1973 Women's Cricket World Cup
The 1973 Women's Cricket World Cup was the first tournament of its kind, held two years before the first limited overs World Cup for men in 1975. The competition was won by the hosts, England...
, which was contested between New Zealand women
New Zealand women's cricket team
The New Zealand women's cricket team played their first Test match in 1935, when they lost to England. Since then they have only won two Tests, once against Australia, and once against South Africa....
and Trinidad and Tobago women. In local domestic cricket, the ground is the home of St Albans Cricket Club who play in the Home Counties Premier Cricket League
Home Counties Premier Cricket League
The Home Counties Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the Home Counties of England, and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League...
Division Two.