The Angel Ground was a sports ground at

Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated populat ...

in the English county of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. It was used as a venue for

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officia ...

by Kent County Cricket Club between 1869 and 1939 and then for

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

by Tonbridge Angels F.C., until 1980. It was subsequently demolished and redeveloped by Tonbridge and Malling District Council in 1980. The ground was located in the centre of Tonbridge, around north-east of

Tonbridge railway station Tonbridge railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line in England, serving the town of Tonbridge, Kent. It is from London Charing Cross via . Trains calling at the station are operated by Southeastern and Southern. Tonbridge forms a ...

, just to the east of Tonbridge High Street. It was bordered on the north by a branch of the River Medway and suffered from flooding in 1925.Explorer Map 147 – Sevenoaks & Tonbridge (Royal Tunbridge Wells & Westerham),

Ordnance Survey Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1745. There was a ...

, 2015-09-16.Kent v Essex, ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'', issue 35602, 1898-08-23, p. 9.The floods in Kent, ''

'', issue 43851, 1925-01-05, p. 14.

Cricket venue

The ground was named after the nearby Angel HotelClub History
, Tonbridge Angels F.C. Retrieved 2017-12-10. and was initially used as a cricket ground. Although a field near the Angel Inn is first referenced as a cricket ground in 1844, the first recorded match, featuring Tonbridge Cricket Club, was in 1868.Milton H (1979) Kent cricket grounds, in ''The Cricket Statistician'', no. 28, December 1979, pp. 2–10.Other matches played on Angel Ground, Tonbridge
CricketArchive. Retrieved 2017-12-10. The club purchased the ground in 1905 for £4,300 and used it until 1942.Cricket: The Tonbridge Week, ''

'', issue 37669, 1905-03-31, p. 12.Cricket: The Angel Ground, Tonbridge, ''

'', issue 37674, 1905-04-06, p. 12.''A brief history of Tonbridge Cricket Club'', accessed a
The Club
Tonbridge Cricket Club. Retrieved 2017-12-10. The ground was first used as a venue for

in 1869 when Kent played

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The trad ...

. The ground became more widely used by the county during the 1880s, with Sussex initially the most frequent visitors.First-Class Matches played on Angel Ground, Tonbridge
CricketArchive. Retrieved 2017-12-10. A cricket week was first held in 1890 and had become the second oldest (after the

Canterbury Cricket Week Canterbury Cricket Week is the oldest cricket festival week in England and involves a series of consecutive Kent home matches, traditionally held in the first week in August. It was founded in 1842, although a similar festival week was first hel ...

) of Kent's five established cricket weeks by the time of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

.Cricket: The Kent Festivals, ''

'', issue 40239, 1913-06-16, p. 13. The week was the county's first of the season and was described by ''

'' in 1911 as "one of the most delightful".Kent v Essex, ''

'', issue 39610, 1911-06-13, p. 16. There were usually at least two

County Championship The County Championship (referred to as the LV= Insurance County Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales and is organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It bec ...

matches held on the ground each year.Hignell A (2013) ''Rain Stops Play: Cricketing Climates'', p. 70. London: Routledge.
Available online
Retrieved 2017-12-11). Kent played a total of 106 First XI matches on the ground,Grounds Records in ''Kent County Cricket Club Annual 2017'', pp. 210–211. Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club. with the county Second XI also using the ground a number of times, including in the Minor Counties Championship.Minor Counties Championship matches played on Angel Ground, Tonbridge
CricketArchive. Retrieved 2017-12-10. The final first-class match to be played on the ground was in June 1939 when Kent drew with Glamorgan.

Records on the ground

A total of 106 first-class matches were held on the ground, all of them featuring Kent as the home side.Angel Ground, Tonbridge
CricketArchive. Retrieved 2017-12-10. *Highest total: 621/6 declared by Kent against

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

, 1922 *Lowest total: 16 by

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Av ...

against Kent, 1913 *Highest partnership: 307, 2nd wicket by JG Langridge and HW Parks, for Sussex against Kent, 1939 *Highest individual score: 240, EH Hendren, for

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

against Kent, 1925 *Best bowling in an innings: 10/48, CHG Bland, for Sussex against Kent, 1899 *Best bowling in a match: 15/76, C Blythe, for Kent against

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

, 1904 The total made against Essex in 1922 was Kent's highest total in first-class cricket when it was set. As of December 2017, it remains the fifth highest score in the county's history.Milton H (2016) 'Team Records' in Reid J (ed) ''2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual'', pp. 199–202, Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club The score of 16 made by Warwickshire in 1913 is the lowest ever made against a Kent side. It was scored in the Warwickshire second innings, the side being bowled out in 45 minutes.Kent v Warwickshire at Tonbridge, June 19, 20, 21, in ''The Shorter Wisden 2013: The Best Writing from Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2013'', p. 213. London: A & C Black.
Available online
Retrieved 2017-12-11). One of Kent's greatest bowlers, Colin Blythe, made his debut for the county on the Angel Ground in 1899. Playing against

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

, he bowled Frank Mitchell with his first ball in first-class cricket, one of only three men to have taken a wicket with their first ball in first-class cricket whilst playing for Kent.'Bowling records' in ''Kent County Cricket Club Annual 2017'', pp. 197–205. Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club.Colin Blythe 1879-1917
Kent County Cricket Club, 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2017-11-09.Lewis P (2013) ''For Kent and Country'', pp. 112–116. Brighton: Reveille Press. .

The Tonbridge Nursery

In 1897, the ground became the base for the "Tonbridge Nursery", a player development centre established by Kent to train young professional cricketers.Tonbridge Cricketers
Tonbridge Historical Society. Retrieved 2017-12-10. This was deemed necessary by the Kent Committee as after dominating county cricket in the early years of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

's reign, the county had become a weaker side. When the

was formerly established in 1890 Kent were initially able to finish only in mid table and by 1896 the county's administrators had determined that something needed to be done to strengthen the side.Moseling M, Quarrington T (2013) ''A Half-Forgotten Triumph: The Story of Kent's County Championship Title of 1913'', pp. 1–2. Cheltenham: SportsBooks. .Kent County Cricket Club Timeline
Kent County Cricket Club. Retrieved 2017-11-23. The establishment of the Nursery was one of the key developments that lay the foundations for the successes of the pre-

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

period during which Kent won the

four times between

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

and 1913. The Nursery was run by Captain William McCanlis and set up and overseen by Tonbridge man Tom Pawley, who became the club's general manager in 1898. It provided structured coaching and match practise for the young professionals who, by 1914, had become the basis of the Kent team, gradually taking the place of the amateurs who had dominated the county teams of the 1870s and 80s. Marsham G (1907
A short history of Kent cricket
''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' 1907. Retrieved 2016-02-17.Moseling & Quarrington ''Op. cit.'', pp. 2–3.Lewis ''Op. cit., p. 33. By 1906 around 60% of all appearances were by professionals, with bowlers such as Colin Blythe and

Arthur Fielder Arthur Fielder (19 July 1877 – 30 August 1949) was an English professional cricketer who played as a fast bowler for Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team from 1900 to 1914. He played a major role in Kent's four County Champ ...

forming the core of the Kent attack.Moseling & Quarrington ''Op. cit.'', p. 11. Professional batsmen such as Punter Humphreys,

Frank Woolley Frank Edward Woolley (27 May 1887 – 18 October 1978) was an English professional cricketer who played for Kent County Cricket Club between 1906 and 1938 and for the England cricket team. A genuine all-rounder, Woolley was a left-handed batsman ...

and

James Seymour James Seymour (1702–1752) was an English painter, widely recognized for his equestrian art. Seymour was born in London. His father was an amateur artist and art dealer, whose other business dealings (as a banker, goldsmith, and diamond ...

became an increasing part of Kent's success, coming together with a group of "gifted"Moseling & Quarrington ''Op. cit.'' p. 3. amateurs to produce strong batting lineups.Kent Cricket: A Retrospect, ''

'', issue 39657, 1911-08-07, p. 13. The Nursery began to pay dividends quickly and Kent finished third in the Championship in 1900,Moseling & Quarrington ''Op. cit'', pp. 3–4. and by 1904 ''The Times'' was able to call it a "brilliant success".The Kent Averages, ''

'', 1904-09-05, p. 10. The nursery closed in 1927, with player development moving to the

St Lawrence Ground The St Lawrence Ground is a cricket ground in Canterbury, Kent. It is the home ground of Kent County Cricket Club and since 2013 has been known as The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, due to commercial sponsorship. It is one of the oldest grounds ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

.Kent County Club, ''

'', issue 44832, 1928-03-03, p. 5.

Wartime use and sale

Occasional wartime cricket matches were held on the ground and the final match, played in 1942, was abandoned after German bombers began to jettison bombs over the town. It was used as an Army vehicle park during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and the trustees of the club decided that the ground would require too much money spent on it to return the pitch to its pre-war condition. It was decided that the ground would be sold in 1944, the local council initially declining to purchase the site.Tonbridge Cricket Ground, ''

'', issue 49967, 1944-09-30, p. 2. In 1945 it was bought by greyhound racing promoters who were unable to obtain planning permission to develop the siteAngel Ground's Future, ''

'', issue 50122, 1945-04-20, p. 6.The Angel Ground, ''

'', issue 50336, 1945-12-29, p. 2.Council's £5,500 offer for cricket ground, ''

'', issue 50725, 1947-04-02, p. 2. and Tonbridge Urban District Council eventually purchased the ground for £7,500 in 1947, the cricket club moving to use grounds at

Tonbridge School (God Giveth the Increase) , established = , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent day and boarding , religion = , president = , head_label ...

Football venue

Following their formation and election to the Southern Football League, Tonbridge Angels F.C. leased the ground from the council and adopted it as their home ground in 1949. Their first match, against Hastings United, drew a crowd of 5,000, with Hastings running out 2–1 winners. The club continued to use the ground for more than 30 years. The ground saw its record attendance for Tonbridge's 1951–52 FA Cup first-round tie against

Aldershot F.C. Aldershot Football Club was a football club from Aldershot, Hampshire, England, that played in the English Football League club from 1926 to 1992. The club was nicknamed ''The Shots'' for both the last syllable of the town name and the military ...

, when 8,236 supporters watched a 0–0 draw. Another FA Cup tie, against Charlton Athletic F.C. in 1972–73, saw 7,770 attend. By 1977 the council required the ground for redevelopment. A three-year legal battle was fought, eventually reaching the High Court, before the council offered the club a new ground, the Longmead Stadium on the north-western edge of the town.Tonbridge Angels FC
Pyramid Passion. Retrieved 2017-12-11. The club took the old main stand with them from the ground and this remains in use at the new ground. The Angel Ground was sold for £1.7 million and the club played its last game at the ground in January 1980, with Mickey Angel scoring the last goal on the ground. They played the remainder of their home matches during the season at a variety of grounds across Kent before moving to the Longmead Stadium for the start of the 1980–81 season. The ground was demolished and a supermarket, department store and Angel leisure centre replaced it.
''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

''. Retrieved 2017-12-11.

References

{{Tonbridge Defunct cricket grounds in England Defunct football venues in England Sports venues in Kent Tonbridge Defunct sports venues in Kent Sports venues demolished in 1980 Demolished sports venues in the United Kingdom