Manor Fields

Manor Fields is in Fenny Stratford. The ground sits at the edge of the town, where the built-up streets give way to the open fields running towards the canal. It is an everyday location, not a destination.

The oval track has been part of the landscape longer than the cricket pitch at its centre. In the older photographs, the track is clearly defined, while the surrounding area is much more open than it is today. The stands are modest, with a concrete cover over one section and open terracing for the rest. The capacity is small enough that you can hear the players on the field. Milton Keynes Irish FC uses the ground now, but it was once home to Buckingham Town FC, who played a first-round FA Cup tie here in the mid-1980s.

The site has always been shared. Bletchley Rugby Club has used the grounds since the 1940s, and the cricket club has been playing there since the 1973 match that is often cited as the ground's first recorded game. The grass is cut and kept for different sports depending on the season. There is no grand entrance or separate car park for the cricket; the ground is simply part of the town's infrastructure.

A new project is underway to change the surface. The current plan is to install artificial pitches and build a new pavilion, a move that would formalise a site that has always been somewhat informal. The track remains, and the houses remain, but the playing surface may soon change.