Lord's Cricket Ground

Thomas Lord opened his third ground on this site in 1814, and it has been the headquarters of the Marylebone Cricket Club and effectively of the sport ever since; the MCC wrote and still owns the Laws of Cricket. The playing surface has a pronounced slope, falling about two and a half metres from one side to the other, which affects how the ball moves and which bowlers discuss in detail. The Long Room in the pavilion is the room players walk through to reach the field, lined with paintings and members in egg-and-bacon ties who applaud in silence. The museum holds the Ashes urn, a terracotta object about eleven centimetres high containing what is probably burnt bail, which stays here regardless of who wins. The 1999 media centre was the first all-aluminium semi-monocoque building.

What you actually see

• The Long Room - the pavilion room players cross to reach the field.
• The Ashes urn - an eleven-centimetre terracotta pot that never leaves.
• The slope - two and a half metres of fall across the playing surface.
• The media centre - a 1999 aluminium pod raised above the ground.

When to go

April to September for cricket; Test tickets are balloted and county matches are cheap and easy to attend. Tours run year-round but not on major match days, and the Long Room is closed when play is on.

Honest expectations

Test match tickets are balloted months ahead and expensive. Tours skip parts of the ground on event days. The MCC pavilion has a dress code for members and their guests during matches.

Nearby

Regent's Park and London Zoo lie south; Abbey Road crossing is a short walk away.