Queen's Park, Chesterfield

Queen’s Park sits in the centre of Chesterfield, a small county cricket ground inside a public park laid out for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. Mature trees ring the ground and a modest pavilion stands beside the pitch. The park once had a banked cycle track around its edge, traces of which remain in the grass. Derbyshire County Cricket Club played first-class matches here for a century until 1998, returned briefly in 2002, then came back permanently in 2006 after an eight-year gap. In 1946 the pitch was found to be two yards too long during a Championship match against Yorkshire, led by Len Hutton. The highest crowd ever recorded at the ground was 14,000 for a match against Yorkshire in 1948. Visitors find a compact ground where the outfield dries slowly after rain, often giving a green wicket. On good pitches the small size encourages fast scoring, and stands of mature trees frame the playing area. The pavilion overlooks the pitch, and paths through the park lead to wider green spaces beyond the cricket ground.