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I am trying to enearth a photo of the cricket pitch that used to be on the site of the Ratcliffe Power Station. I played a game on there about 1990, and I guess that this must have been one of the last matched played there, because I can't find any evidence of anything since. Does anyone have an aerial or even landscape shot showing the ground? I remember there being millions of rabbits, and a sooty smell (for some reason!!).

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There is a feature in Google Earth that allows you to look at historic aerial images. Click on the clock icon and use the slider to go back in time.

Interestingly, in some areas you can go back to 1945!

I can see the golf course at the power station but no cricket pitch.

untitled.jpg

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Could you be confusing the pitch with that of Thrumpton CC?

Certainly adjacent to the Power Station site and, whenever I played there, rather prone to various drifting vapours...

Cheers

Robt P.

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Thanks for that pointer re google earth - I'll check it out. The pitch was to the rear of the site as you look from the A453 - and was most definately not Thrumpton's ground which I have played at several times. Access was via the gate house at the side of the slagpile, and I seem to remember a very small wooden hut as a pavilion.

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There was also a bowling green at the power station at one time (when it was still CEGB). My dad was instrumental in setting up the bowls club, and getting them to build the green. No sign of it today!

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Google Earth only appears to go back to 1999 so is no good as both the possible fields do not show any signs of a cricket square or hut. I probably need something from the 70's or 80's if possible. I don't remember a bowling green, but it's possible it was close by, unless that was round the front near the golf course.

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Not sure if this helps, but the Old Maps site has one from the mid 1980s, and you can clearly see a Sports Ground at the northern end above the railway line.

Is that where the cricket pitch was?

power.jpg

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Good map. It shows no industrial development north of the E-W rail line. Google Earth shows a substantial development - probably the de- sulphurisation plant which will have compromised the cricket pitch.

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Yep, that's where the bowling green was too - it "may" be the rectangle just to the left of the square building - which, I believe was the "new" Sports and Social Club. Indeed, they all disappeared when the new de-sulphurization plant was built.

The original club was in a prefab building close to what was one of the construction entrances at the SW side of the site - there is a rectangular structure there on the map - which may be it. I had my 21st birthday party there back in 1972!

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That's excellent Cliff - thanks very much. The sports ground is exactly where I remembered it - I wasn't dreaming it all up. I guess is anyone knows when the de-sulph plant was built it would give a fairly accurate date for when the ground ceased existance??? Your response rate is top class - I may never need to go to the library again!!!! LOL.

My next topic is a bit closer to home for you - Clifton Village. Do you have a map from the 1800's showing where the cricket pitch was? I know in 1884 onwards cricket was played in Turners Field which is now part of the NTU university campus, but I'm trying to find evidence of cricket being played on the village green earlier than this for a project I am doing on the history of Clifton Village CC.

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