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Despite a major rebuilding programme in recent years, Lord's remains a cricket ground as opposed to the largely impersonal stadiums many other leading venues which have become. Playing in a Test at Lord's, still widely regarded as the home of cricket, remains to many cricketers the pinnacle of a career.

The third of Thomas Lord's grounds was opened in 1814 and soon became the major venue as cricket became the world's leading sport in the 19th century. While cricket has been overtaken by other international events, and the game itself has become overtly commercial, Lord's has retained its place as the spiritual home.

The ground is privately owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club (membership 18,000), is the home to the ECB and, from 1909 to 2005, the ICC.

The dominant building is the terracotta-coloured pavilion, built in 1890 and still one of world sport's most recognisable structures. Going round the ground in a clockwise direction, next to the pavilion is the Warner Stand, opened in 1958 and named after the eminent player and administrator Sir Pelham "Plum" Warner.

The main grandstand was built in 1997 and replaced the architecturally unique structure designed by Sir Herbert Baker which was opened in time for the 1926 Ashes Test. Baker presented MCC with Father Time, the weathervane which topped his creation until it was moved to the other side of the ground in 1996.

The far end - the Nursery - is enclosed by the Compton and Edrich Stands, a pair of low-level two-tier stands built in 1990 which are remarkably similar to those they replaced (which were known as the Free Seats on account of them being available to those who had paid the basic ground admission - entry to other areas required extra payment). Legend has it that Gubby Allen, MCC's long-time self-appointed guardian, steadfastly refused to allow any larger structure as it would have blocked the view of the Nursery and the tree-lined park on the other side of the Wellington Road.

The Nursery itself is named after Henderson's agricultural nursery which was acquired in 1887 (not, as widely believed, because it is home to the MCC Young Cricketers, hence the nursery for the game's next generation). It houses a second pitch which is used for end-of-season Cross Arrows matches as well as the women's Varsity match. The award-winning Mound Stand, was opened in 1987. Its predecessor , constructed in 1898, was on the site of the old tennis courts and at one time contained a bakery with a small underground railway to take produce to various points of sale.

The Tavern (1967) is the least distinguished of the stands and typifies the bland functionality of the 1960s. Until the late 1980s spectators could stand on the concourse in front of the stand and watch proceedings, but increasing rowdyism ended that. The previous Tavern, an ivy-clad building, was much loved by patrons.

The final stand before returning the the pavilion is the Allen Stand (formerly the Q Stand), a rather diminutive in-fill which serves as a pavilion overflow on big-match days and Middlesex's club room at other times.
Martin Williamson