Village sign
| Browse information by: Location Makers General Information Classification Object Parts Object Condition History References Photographs |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright for Photograph: Creative Commons |
Location
| Street: | Reynolds Lane |
| Town: | Slindon |
| Parish: | Slindon |
| Council: | Arun District Council |
| County: | West Sussex |
| Postcode: | BN18 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Road or Wayside |
| Access is: | Public |
| Location note: | At the Reynolds Lane junction with School Hill and Park Lane |
| In the AZ book: | West Sussex |
| Page: | 143 |
| Grid reference: | L1 |
| The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks. | |
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Makers
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General Information
| Commissioned by: | Slindon Pudding Club |
| Construction period: | 2000 |
| Installation date: | 2000 |
| Work is: | Extant |
| Owner custodian: | Slindon Parish Council |
| Object listing: | Not listed |
| Description: | An oak village sign surmounting a low brick base. Comprises an upright square post with a square cross bar on top. On top of the crossbar is a wooden carved cricket bat and ball leaning against a wicket. |
| Signatures: | On the east and western faces of the post and cross bar are carved letters:
SLINDON 2000. |
| Inscription: | THIS SIGN WAS DONATED BY THE SLINDON PUDDING CLUB AND DEPICTS THE SHAPE & SIZE OF THE BAT AND WICKET THAT WAS FIRST USED IN SLINDON IN 1731 |
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Classification
| Categories: | Functional, Free Standing, Commemorative, Roadside / Wayside, Sculptural |
| Object type1: | Marker |
| Object subtype1: | Village sign |
| Subject type1: | Figurative |
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Object Parts
| Part 1: | Post and sign |
| Material: | Oak |
| Height (cm): | 280 |
| Width (cm): | 60 |
| Depth (cm): | 28 |
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Object Condition
| Overall condition: | Good |
| Risk assessment: | No known risk |
| Condition 1 of type: | Surface |
| Condition 1: | Corrosion, deterioration |
| More details: | Black paint of the inscription wearing in places. |
| Condition 2 of type: | Structural |
| Condition 1: | Cracks, splits, breaks, holes |
| More details: | Post split badly on eastern side due to weather. |
| Date of on-site inspection: | 26/08/2008 |
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History
| History: | ‘Cricket as an organised game owes much to the Duke of Richmond at Goodwood Park. In the 17th century, he developed a stable of players, largely from his estate workers and local landowners, and including Slindon residents. The Newland brothers, and Richard in particular, were key to the development of the game, with Slindon as its focal point. Apart from being their home, Slindon Common with its clay surface on fast-draining gravel provided a level and fast pitch allowing more accurate play than the usual downland turf. When the Duke was summoned by the King to help suppress the Stuart rebellion in Scotland in the early 1700s, Newland and his fellow players formed their own club.
Slindon, therefore, can unquestionably claim to have the oldest cricket club in continuous existence. Hambledon Club subsequently became renowned, but owes its origin to the Newlands and their nephew Richard Nyren who became the landlord of the Bat & Ball tavern on Broadhalfpenny Down. Richard Newland was the first great left-handed batsman and bowler whose side took on the best in England, including the famous match in 1740 when an all-England team was beaten by “poore little Slyndon…in almost one innings”. His headstone may still be seen today near the entrance to Slindon’s village church. The other enduring legacy of those glory days was the first set of rules governing the playing of the game. Largely drawn up by the Duke of Richmond, they became the subject of a formal agreement in 1744 between the Duke and Alan Brodrick, later Viscount Midleton, resident of Surrey. This remains substantially the basis of the code of cricket laws in operation to this day. Slindon’s cricketing heritage is honoured today both by the memorial of “crick”, wicket and ball at the junction of Reynolds Lane and Park Lane, and by the players who still oil their bats, don their pads and walk to the crease on that flat and true Slindon Common pitch.’ (http://www.slindon.com/) |
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References
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Photographs
Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
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