Sevenoaks made its mark in the world of cricket very early on in cricketing history. The Duke of Dorset at Knole, Sevenoaks was a keen cricket fan, he used to persuade promising bowlers to come and work on the Knole estate as gardeners or gamekeepers and then make up the Duke of Dorset’s XI.
The game of cricket brought together the aristocracy, their tenants and servants in a way not experienced before. For example; in 1743 when Kent beat an All-England eleven by one wicket at The Vine Cricket Ground Sevenoaks, the Duke of Dorset’s son was playing for the winning team, but he was not
captain; the captain was Val Romney, a gardener at Knole!
It has been suggested that had the French noblesse and their peasants had a similar relationship, then the French Revolution would never have happened in the way that it did. One of the big ‘if onlys’ in history!
Find out more about cricket and much more in Sevenoaks during the Town Walk on Sunday 1st May starting at 10.00am at The Stag Theatre, London Road.
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Dawn Blee Blue Badge Tour Guide
