Location Margate, Kent County club Kent (pre-county club) Establishment 1789 | Home club Sir Horatio Mann's XI Last used 1806 | |
Dandelion Paddock was a first-class cricket ground in Dandelion, near Margate, Kent. Sir Horatio Mann organised a number of matches there in the 1790s.
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Location
The paddock was sited in the grounds of Dent de Lion (aka Dandelion), which is about a mile and a half southwest of Margate. The estate was established around a former manor house in the 12th or 13th century by the family of Dent de Lyon. It was owned by Charles James Fox for many years until his death in 1806. The only remaining edifice is a 15th-century gatehouse.
Matches
The grounds had been converted into a resort and tea garden by the time cricket matches were held there and had become very popular with residents of Margate and nearby Ramsgate.
The earliest known match at Dandelion Paddock was in September 1789 when Mann's East Kent XI played a team from the Isle of Thanet. In September 1795, it became a first-class venue when Mann staged three successive matches featuring his own XI. Two further games took place in 1796.
There was one later use for a minor match on 15 September 1806 when Lord Frederick Beauclerk's XI defeated Edward Bligh's XI by 53 runs. This match was staged two days after Fox's death.