Welbeck Abbey First Class Venue

THE BRIEF HISTORY OF WELBECK ABBEY AS A FIRST-CLASS VENUE

BY MICHAEL GOULDER

Welbeck Abbey was the site of a monastery belonging to the Premonstratensian order as established in 1153-54 by Thomas de Cuckney. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it became a country house residence of the Dukes of Portland. It is one of four contiguous ducal estates in North Nottinghamshire and the house is a Grade I listed building. The Welbeck estate is huge; covering some 15,000 acres, much of it sitting within Sherwood Forest. Welbeck Abbey was subsequently let by the Duke to the Ministry of Defence and was operated as Welbeck College from September 1953, as a sixth-form college for potential engineering officers joining the British Army. This college operated within the Welbeck estate until September 2005 when the College was moved 40 miles south to a new site at Woodhouse near Loughborough. After the switch of venues, cricket was no longer played on the Abbey site. Welbeck Abbey estate is currently owned by William Henry Marcello Parente, son of the younger sister of the unmarried elder daughter of the 7th Duke.

The 6th Duke of Portland, William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, KG, GCVO, TD, PC, DL was Notts CCC President in 1900. Born on 28th December 1857, he had been President in 1881. Notts Presidents were elected for a year and the Duke subsequently was the Club President in 1912, 1926 and 1934. Cavendish-Bentinck was a British landowner, courtier, and Conservative politician in the House of Lords. He notably served as Master of the Horse between 1886 and 1892 and again between 1895 and 1905. The cricket ground was situated south of the Abbey and was laid out in the 1880s. The entries for matches played at Welbeck Abbey within the Cricket Archive database are inaccurate and are listed as being played six miles south from the Abbey at Oakfield Lane, Warsop, the ground of Welbeck Colliery CC until they left the ground to move to Sookholme at the start of the 2007 season. Sookholme has been the venue for first-class and List A Notts CCC fixtures since 2015. Cricket Archive also lists all home games played by Welbeck College as being played within the Woodhouse campus this is also incorrect. Home matches listed as being played between 1960 and 1994 were actually played at Welbeck Abbey.

The Notts CCC Minute Book has an entry from a committee meeting held on 26th September 1900 stating that “The suggestion of playing the match v Derbyshire at Welbeck (next season) providing funding could be obtained from the Duke of Portland was considered. The Secretary (Mr H Turner) undertook to see the Duke’s request regarding the matter and refresh at a future meeting.”

Samuel Malthouse, born in nearby Whitwell, who played nine first-class games for Derbyshire in 1894 and 1895, was employed by the Duke as coach/groundsman in the early 1900s.

The Duke got his wish for a match to be played when on Monday 12th August 1901; Notts commenced their inaugural first-class fixture at Welbeck Abbey against Derbyshire. Indeed this was the first official home championship game Notts had participated away from their Trent Bridge headquarters. The Nottingham Evening Post stated that the game “had been awaited with the keenest possible interest” and the Duke “had done all that lay in his power to perfect the arrangements.” This was despite a serious fire earlier in the year, which destroyed the Oxford Wing of the Abbey. Derbyshire went in to the fixture having not won in the championship all season. Notts having won the toss made a circumspect start with the bat in front of a crowd of 600. The visitors had selected Arthur Morton in their line-up but he failed to turn up and Whitwell-born Daniel Bottom, a former Notts player who kept the Greyhound Inn at Mansfield Woodhouse was included as an amateur in the Derbyshire eleven.

A sharp shower delayed proceedings as Notts stood at 52 for 0 at the lunch break. A thunderstorm soon followed and with intermittent showers around, play resumed late in the day as Notts closed on 122 for one. Skipper Arthur Jones was dismissed for 72 shortly before the close as the opening partnership with James Iremonger added 119 runs.

The correspondent in the Nottingham Daily Express the following morning stated that “It was very kind of his Grace the Duke of Portland to interest himself so much in Notts cricket to become President of the club, but in my opinion, it has been a mistake to take the match to a venue so difficult to access. The nearest railway station, Creswell is over three miles away and the downpour of last evening must have thoroughly drenched a large number of people who attended the match.” The correspondent added that many people had cycled to the venue but it proved “an experience they will not be anxious to repeat” as the only place to store their machines under cover was over a mile away at the Abbey gates. Shelter from the cloudbursts was provided by the refreshment tents scattered around the ground. “Financially the affair will result in considerable loss to the County Committee – unless, as is possible, his Grace has guaranteed the club against the loss. Yesterday’s tally could not have reached £20.” The crowd had been “handicapped somewhat in coming after the Welbeck Cattle Show, the sports, and Bank Holiday week; but after all it is asking a little too much from townsfolk, or people with any business at all in life, to call on them to start by 9 o’clock in the morning – as all those who went from Nottingham must have done – and to finish their day’s pleasure about ten at night. The return train journey from Creswell takes about an hour and a half – sometimes more.”

Play got under way the following morning on a “beautifully fine” morning in front of a “fair ring of spectators.” Iremonger completed his third ton in a fortnight, but was magnificently caught off a long hop by Ernest 'Nudger' Needham the bowler being Albert Lawton for 108, 251 for three. After lunch “with the continuance of fine weather there was close upon 2,000 spectators in attendance.” John Gunn had joined Arthur Shrewsbury at the wicket; a boundary through long-leg saw Gunn to a thousand runs in a season for the first time in what would turn out to be a highly successful county career. Gunn was bowled shortly afterwards by Bill Storer for 18. Notts declared their innings on 300 for 6; Shrewsbury scoring a “faultless” unbeaten 74. Shrewsbury was to commit suicide two years later.

Notts opened with Tom Wass (Abbey End) and Albert Hallam (Pavilion End) and were to bowl unchanged. Wass demolished the feeble Derbyshire batting finishing with 12.1-7-17-8 as Derbyshire were skittled out for 44 in 24.1 overs. Opener Levi Wright was top scorer with 23. Hallam finished with 2 for 24. Derbyshire followed on and were 22 for 4 when stumps were drawn, Wass picking up all the wickets.

Morning rain which got heavier around lunchtime meant that the last day was delayed with play getting under way at 1500 hours in front of a crowd of about 100. Needham had fallen to the last ball of the previous night and Wass completed his over by dismissing Lawton to a fine catch by Shrewsbury at point. Wass had dismissed five batsmen in the innings and finished with 13 for 40 in the match. Gunn and George Anthony replaced Hallam and Wass and with the score on 53 for five, a heavy shower “drove the men to shelter” just before 4 o’clock. Play resumed at 1710 and two runs had been added when Gilbert Curgenven was caught at slip by Jones off Gunn. Bottom joined William Chatterton and they were together for 30 minutes before Bottom was smartly stumped by John Carlin off Gunn. Over an hour’s play remained, but Derbyshire were all out for 97, just before 6 o’clock. Gunn, who took the last five wickets, had William Birkett caught by Iremonger and bowled the last two batsmen John Hulme and Bestwick for 18 and 0 respectively. The innings which had multiple interruptions had lasted 57.3 overs which equated to two hours and 40 minutes of playing time. Number four bat Chatterton survived two hours for a defiant 19 not out. Despite the “bowlers being handicapped by a wet ball and insecure footholds”, Notts had gained a win by a comprehensive margin of an innings and 159 runs. The other four championship matches played in the round ended in rain sodden draws. The Lancashire Evening Post of 15th August 1901 summed up the game by stating “If the weather had been propitious it would have been a great treat for the teams, for Welbeck is a delightful place.” Notts were to finish ninth in the table with Derbyshire six places below them.

Despite its relative inaccessibility and the poor attendance, Notts decided to return to Welbeck to play the same opposition three years later. There is an entry in Notts CCC minute book dated 1st July 1904 stating “Letter read from Nottm. Catering Co. offering £25 for the sole right of supplying refreshments at the match Notts v Derbyshire at Welbeck on July 28 29 30. Also to supply necessary tents and bars, proposed by W.B.Hollins and seconded by D.Hunter that the offer be accepted.”



Like the previous championship match in 1901, the 1904 match, which commenced on Thursday 28th July, was badly affected by the weather. The fire damaged Oxford Wing of the Abbey had been completely rebuilt in the interim. The Nottingham Daily Express stated “It was a proud little party of thirty that alighted at Creswell in the morning, all cricketers, we and the accompanying impediments for Notts and Derbyshire teams had travelled from the Lace City together. The Duke placed a motor omnibus at the disposal of the county eleven and Jones and his stalwarts were whirling along the tortuous route, through rocky crags, to the ground fronting Welbeck Abbey. Derbyshire followed more sedately in a wagonette. The beautifully wooded and ancient abbey are ideal surroundings and the wicket had been most carefully prepared, the grass having been cut as neatly as hair. The marked out creases were, indeed, as pretty as a picture, but oh! So wet. Rain had fallen at Welbeck for a week, and the ground was absolutely sodden. The wicket had been covered with tar cloth, but this had blown off during the night.” 

The start was delayed much to the frustration of the Nottingham Evening Post correspondent: “The experience is the more unpalatable because the surroundings are well nigh perfect. The trees behind one end may possibly handicap the batsmen, but the enclosure, which has been mown and rolled by a steam machine, is in splendid order, and cricket could scarcely be played under more delightful conditions.”

Play finally got underway at 1500 on the first day, Notts captain Arthur Jones winning the toss and electing to bat. The crowd was around 200 (receipts £20). Iremonger (3) fell early caught at forward short-leg off the right-arm medium-fast bowler Billy Bestwick on what was described as a “very soft wicket”, although the outfield “was not bad, and the ball travelled at a good rate.” Jones and John Gunn added 69 runs for the second wicket, before the latter was taken at slip by the amateur Curgenven off the right-arm medium pace of Sam Cadman. The Nottingham Daily Express postulated that “save the admirable batting of Jones, and a long defensive innings by George Gunn (24), there was little of merit in the cricket, and little of interest, especially for those who had come any distance.” Jones scored 74 out of 104 whilst at the crease, before holing out off Cadman, Notts at that stage were 109 for three. George Gunn was caught behind as Warren filleted the Notts middle and lower order. Stumps were drawn at 1830 with Notts on 187 for nine.

Prior to the start of the second day, the Notts players had been driven by motor car to see the Duke of Portland’s stud, including St. Simon who was an undefeated British Thoroughbred and one of the most successful sires in the history of horse racing.

Three balls into the morning session, Anthony was caught by Maynard Ashcroft at mid-off. Arnold Warren, the 29 year-old right-arm fast-seamer from Codnor, finished with a career best 8 for 69. Warren had “bowled consistently well on a wicket that gave him assistance.” Warren had taken 5 for 56 in the second innings when the teams had met a month earlier at Queen’s Park Chesterfield; a game won by Notts by 330 runs, Derbyshire being shot out for 32 in their second innings, John Gunn took 6 for 19. Wright and Charles Ollivierre added 42, until the former was caught and bowled via a hard and low return to Wass. Rain stopped play for 90 minutes over lunchtime. Play recommenced at 1450. Ollivierre drove John Gunn “tremendously hard to cover point” where Jones injured his right-hand and as a result the Notts captain took no further part in the match. Curgenven was comprehensively bowled by John Gunn. Wass yorked Warren and in the same over Ollivierre was splendidly caught at long-off by Anthony. Cadman played on to right-armer Wass. The sun was now shining brightly but there were not many more than 400 present within the ground. Wass removed Needham and Morton in one over. Derbyshire had collapsed from 75 for 2 to 127 all out as Wass the destroyer from three years previously finished with 6 for 71 and figures of 19 for 111 for the two games at The Abbey.

Notts went in again and collapsed to 74 for 8 in 29.3 overs as Warren and Bestwick bowled unchanged. Under the trying conditions, the Oxford undergraduate Trevor Branston “showed fine skill for nearly an hour” for his unbeaten 24. Warren having a superb match had taken seven for 43 and had match figures of 15 for 112 which up to the present day are still the third best match bowling analyses by a Derbyshire player in first-class cricket. With Jones absent injured, Notts led by 134 runs with one second innings wicket standing; a fascinating last day was in prospect. Among the spectators was the 11 year-old Marquess of Titchfield who came from Eton to see the game and who “evinced a lively interest in the scoring operations.” Son of the 6th Duke, the Marquess was later to become the MP for Newark-on-Trent from 1922 to 1943 and subsequently the 7th Duke of Portland.

Heavy rain fell on Friday night/Saturday morning and with “the wicket an absolute morass.” Welbeck’s second first-class fixture was abandoned as a draw shortly after noon on Saturday. Notts finished fifth in 1904 with Derbyshire in tenth position. After two poorly attended rain affected games, first-class cricket was sadly never to return to Welbeck Abbey.