Guist Cricket Pavilion, Norfolk - December 2022

[dansgas1000]

Introduction
This is a local place that I went to a few times several years ago but me and @V50jake wanted to revisit with the camera as we both hadn’t been in a while.

Information & History
There really isn’t much history to find on this place, it doesn’t even appear on the Norfolk Heritage Explorer website. It was apparently built in 1907 and was used up until the 1930s. It may have been later than the thirties, though, as a review of the place on Google suggests that someone was a scorer in the early 1950s. It also appears on the 25 Inch, 1892-1914 OS Map as an unnamed structure.

In front of the structure is the old cricket ground which is now a farmers field for sheep, behind the structure is a vast woodland. The pavilion is falling to bits and no effort has been made to preserve the building. The stairs were removed/destroyed many years ago which were used to access the upper viewing deck/rooms.

The visit itself was very chilled out, it’s easy to park and very easy to get to. We encountered a young family having a look around as well.

Onto the photos starting with a view of the front:

View from the rear of the building:

An old gutter:

And a few internals from the ground floor. Unfortunately, graffiti 'artists' have vandalised the site in recent times. It looked a lot better back in 2016 in an old report by Hughie D.

Looking out from one of the rooms towards the vast woodland behind the building...

Thanks for looking - if anyone has any additional information about the site I'd be interested to know.

 

[westernsultan]

2014 report and pictures at Explore #29: Cricket Pavilion, Guist, Norfolk – February 2014 which includes this nice comment -I camped on the cricket field in front of the pavilion with ‘the cubs’ in 1954, the building was habitable then, and I remember some adults ‘camped’ inside! I broke my wrist jumping from a tree, out of shot on the left of the building. I had to be taken to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. There was no pitch left there then, just a field. -

 

[dansgas1000]

2014 report and pictures at Explore #29: Cricket Pavilion, Guist, Norfolk – February 2014 which includes this nice comment -I camped on the cricket field in front of the pavilion with ‘the cubs’ in 1954, the building was habitable then, and I remember some adults ‘camped’ inside! I broke my wrist jumping from a tree, out of shot on the left of the building. I had to be taken to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. There was no pitch left there then, just a field. -

Interesting read, thanks for the link!

 

[westernsultan]

Interestingly Sennowe Park was also completed in 1907 so I think there is a possible link to the cricket pavilion but not been able to find it - — Sennowe Park

 

[dansgas1000]

Interestingly Sennowe Park was also completed in 1907 so I think there is a possible link to the cricket pavilion but not been able to find it - — Sennowe Park

Interesting would definitely be a rare coincidence so it wouldn't surprise m if they are related. The pavilion may well have been linked to that as they are within close proximity to each other.

 

[Mikeymutt🐶]

Nice take on the old place. It was one of the very first things I did when I started, actually spotted it by chance. Shame the graffiti lot have gone and ruined the charm. They have obviously gone out of the way to go too it. Did you see the pillbox next to it, and another on the main road opposite the gates. That's because the hall was requisitioned by the military in the war. Hope you popped your head in the lovely lime kiln just literally down the road as well.

 

[JakeV50]

A local favourite this, my first 'explore' on boxing day 2017. Looks a bit worse for wear now. Glad we could finally get back with the cameras, been talking about it long enough!

 

[JakeV50]

Hope you popped your head in the lovely lime kiln just literally down the road as well.

That lime kiln is a nice one. In pretty good condition too

 

[HughieD]

Good effort. I really like this place as it is a bit different and is a fair size, given it is made completely out of wood.

Shame about the graff though. When I went here back in August 2016 (see report HERE) the place was graff-free.

 

[dansgas1000]

Nice take on the old place. It was one of the very first things I did when I started, actually spotted it by chance. Shame the graffiti lot have gone and ruined the charm. They have obviously gone out of the way to go too it. Did you see the pillbox next to it, and another on the main road opposite the gates. That's because the hall was requisitioned by the military in the war. Hope you popped your head in the lovely lime kiln just literally down the road as well.

Cheers Mikey, it is a shame about the graffiti. Yeah, I noticed one of the pillboxes on an earlier visit. I did the lime kiln a couple of years ago that was quite nice too but I nearly fell down the hill getting to it if I remember correctly, it was a wet day! There's that Broom Green Chapel nearby as well, I want to re-do that one too when I'm next up that way and have more time.

A local favourite this, my first 'explore' on boxing day 2017. Looks a bit worse for wear now. Glad we could finally get back with the cameras, been talking about it long enough!

Yep, it's definitely more interesting than I remember. I feel like it structurally looks the same pretty much, other than the graffiti of course.

Good effort. I really like this place as it is a bit different and is a fair size, given it is made completely out of wood.

Shame about the graff though. When I went here back in August 2016 (see report HERE) the place was graff-free.

Cheers mate, I completely agree. I've never thought of it but it is quite a big size for a solely wood-constructed building. I compared your report to the condition of it now and it is a shame to see the graffiti everywhere, I linked your thread in this report so others could see the difference over time.

 

[lolza22]

Looks like something out of a horror film. Great pics

 

[dansgas1000]

Looks like something out of a horror film. Great pics

It does a bit actually! Cheers for your comment