Grace Gates

The Grace Gates stand at the entrance to Lord’s Cricket Ground on St John’s Wood Road in the City of Westminster. They are two pairs of cast-iron gates set within a curved Portland-stone recess in the south wall of the ground. The flanking walls and piers are also of Portland stone, topped by carved stone urns and stumps. Above the gates is a wreath with the initials WGG and an inscription honouring W. G. Grace. The gates were designed by Sir Herbert Baker and became a Grade II listed building in 1996. The gates were erected in 1923 as a memorial to W. G. Grace, the great cricketer who died in 1915. They replaced a simpler entrance and were officially opened by Sir Stanley Jackson. The design includes motifs of a cricket ball and sun’s rays, along with the initials of the Marylebone Cricket Club. The gates have witnessed notable events, including the 1937 ‘Toffs and Toughs’ photograph and a 1970 protest against apartheid-era South Africa. In 2013, plans were announced to build a new entrance, though the gates themselves would remain locked during redevelopment. Visitors find the gates framed by Portland stone and urns, with pedestrian doors on either side. The gates lead towards the west end of the Tavern Stand and the Lord’s Pavilion. MCC members often gather outside hours before Test matches to secure seats. The surrounding wall curves gently, and the stonework carries the engraved tribute to W. G. Grace. The setting remains a quiet contrast to the bustle inside the ground.