J.W. Logan and his cricket ground at East Langton

Thanks to the good offices of my Liberator colleague Kiron Reid, a booklet with the enticing title Country House Cricket Grounds of Leicestershire and Rutland arrived in the post this morning. As I hoped, it contains a good section on J.W. Logan and his ground at East Langton.

That section tells us:

J.W. Logan, Liberal MP for Harborough for about 25 years, laid out East Langton for his two sons and the pitch was the best in Leicestershire apart from the County ground. He was a great supporter of Leicestershire cricket, and President of the County Club from 1905 to 1908 ... 

The ground is rather small, lending itself to large scores and is located some way from the Grange. Originally typical Leicestershire ridge and furrow, great quantities of soil were transported by Mr Logan from excavations carried out when the new railway was built ... 

Leicestershire Club and Ground had annual fixtures from 1900 to 1905, as did Leicestershire Ivanhoe. Owing to ill health Mr Logan closed his ground in 1907 and the small pavilion was given to the Market Harborough club who still use it as a tea pavilion. 

The entry goes on to say that the ground reverted to grazing land after that until it was remade by Colonel Hignett in 1935 and today it is once more one of the finest grounds in the district.

For more on its charms, read Down at Third Man:

On the roadside, in the gloaming, between high trees, he spots the spectre of an enchanted cricket ground. Passing by in an instant he is certain that he has seen the mythic cricket ground that all lovers of the game believe one day they will stumble on.