I suppose I’m not necessarily a diurnal sort of person. But at this time of year, I have yet to shake off the winter habit of retreating indoors as soon as the temperature drops and dusk approaches. So, finding myself on Park Nab, looking over Kildale at sunset yesterday, was something of an anomaly.
The most noteworthy feature of the photograph, apart from that golden orb, is the large, flat field dotted with sheep, chewing away in blissful ignorance of the dramatic sky above them. This field is called Lea Close—at least, that is what I have gleaned from an 1806 estate map, though even with a magnifying glass, certainty is elusive. Some of the older locals may know it as the ‘Old Cricket Field’.
Most communities in the dales like to boast about their sporting prowess, and Kildale was no exception. The young men of Kildale in the 1950s to 1970s built a reputation for excelling both on the cricket pitch and the football field. They were tough, unpampered, and—as the saying goes—‘as fit as butchers’ dogs’, with stamina and determination to match.
Kildale Cricket Club was founded in 1902, with this field by Baysdale Road generously offered by Major R. B. Turton, the Lord of the Manor. For nearly fifty years, Park Nab echoed with the sound of leather on willow. Around 1948, the game moved to its current location on the Castleton Road, opposite the road to New Row. This move was not without its challenges, as the pavilion had to be sawn in half and transported on a milk wagon. The new pitch has a curious slope away from the road, which apparently adds a certain ‘interest’ to play. Some suggest that this peculiarity gives the home team a slight advantage—though, of course, they would never admit it1Anthony, Cedric. “Glimpses of Kildale History”. Geni Printing. 2012..
- 1Anthony, Cedric. “Glimpses of Kildale History”. Geni Printing. 2012.
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