Barnton Cricket Club owes its origins to a splendidly-bearded clergyman by the name of the Reverend Samuel Lancaster Laidman.
It was he who founded the club in 1880, during his time as Vicar of Christ Church, Barnton. Its chief patron in the early days was the local ‘squire’, Mr A. Smith-Barry Esq., who had provided villagers with facilities to play organised cricket in the grounds of his stately home, Marbury Hall, as early as 1862. When the cricket-loving cleric, with the support of his worthy benefactor, established Barnton CC, the team was drawn largely from the Church’s congregation and the first matches were against teams from Belmont Hall, Acton, Marbury and Little Leigh.
Though no records survive to indicate the standard of cricket being played in those formative years, these were the days when an over consisted of four balls and underarm bowling was permitted. The club continued to play its home matches at Marbury Hall until 1885, when a ground was acquired in Barnton on rented farm land between what are now Emmett Street and Townfield Lane.
But it was a short-lived arrangement and it wasn’t until 1901 that the club’s unbroken association with the village began. In that year a new ground was laid out on the old Watercress Beds, off Lydyett Lane close to Gunnersclough, and in 1904 the club had its first pavilion, a converted pigeon cote. Previously the players had to change in a tent alongside the pitch. A new pavilion was opened in 1913, paid for by public subscription, and this was the club’s base for the next ten years.
The 1924 season began on a new ground on land currently at the junction of Beech Lane and Townfield Lane. The
turf from the original ground, along with the pavilion, was transferred to the new site. The club lost its ground in 1940 as part of the war effort, but continued to play in a nomadic fashion until 1953, when a new ground was established on land to the north of Townfield Lane (next to where Barnton FC now stands).
The club moved to its present site in 1957, with a new pavilion arriving a year later. In 1977 the Broomsedge ground was levelled and re-seeded and, over the years, the club has maintained a policy of renewal that has seen the steady improvement of the pavilion and the creation of a sporting and social venue of the highest order. The first sporting improvement was the creation of the Bowling Green 1984 followed later by the building of the Squash Courts, 2 Playing courts and a balcony which also housed the Cricket Score Box. Internal alterations were made to relocate and extend the Kitchen, incorporatig disabled Toilet Facilities and a New patio area. In 2011 we had the Car Park fully re-surfaced and lined including Disabled spaces. In 2015 New changing Rooms were added on the front of the Squash Courts for the Cricket section to use in the summer months and the Squash Teams in the Winter, this was built by one of our members Andy Cobley. In 2016 the Members Lounge was extended and fully refurbished, followed in 2017 by the Function Room, a full refurb and new Air Conditioning fitted. New outside patio seating and upgrading of the car park seating to Benches has now been completed. The Committee remains fully committed to improving all the Members facilities as and when funds allow.
In 1978 Barnton joined the Cheshire Cricket League and the first team now plays in the UK Fast Cheshire Cricket League Division 1.