Pleas to save historic pavilion

Australia played at Boughton Park on their tour of England in 1878

Plans to demolish the 19th century home of Worcestershire County Cricket Club have been met with dismay by fans who want to save the building.

A property company plans to redevelop the site of the Boughton Park ground in Worcester, where the county played from 1871 to 1899.

Legendary cricketer WG Grace played there for Worcestershire in the 1870s.

Fans say the pavilion should be saved but the developers said there was not enough interest for it to be listed.

The venue - known as the Cinderella ground - also played host to one of the first Australia teams to tour England in 1878 and the fight to save the pavilion has even been covered in the Australian media.

'Legacy to city'

Worcestershire moved to their current home of New Road in 1899 but the club are among the people and organisations keen to see the pavilion saved.

Cricketing legend WG Grace was among those to play at the ground

Club chief executive Mark Newton said: "The cricket club has been around since 1865 and it was our first permanent home.

"Yes, we moved in 1899 and it doesn't necessarily hold memories for all of us but it's still important as part of our legacy to the city."

Former mayor of Worcester, Councillor David Clark, has also said he would like to see the site preserved.

He said: "We get developers that come to our towns and cities and build over our heritage, take their profits and then disappear and we are so much the poorer."

Developers SJS Property Management said in a statement that the pavilion was refused listed status on the grounds it was not of sufficient special interest.

But it added the company recognised the sentiments about the history of the ground and had compiled a full survey of the building for use in the city's archives.