In the 19th century the most popular sport in Nottingham was cricket which was traditional played on The Forest, in the Meadows and on Meadow Platt. When the 1845 Enclosure Act allowed the fields around Nottingham to be developed for housing, Meadow Platt became Bath Street Cricket Ground. it was a popular place and that was used so extensively that the grounds were in very poor condition. The closeness of the pitches meant it was dangerous to players and audience. By 1884 only under 13s were allowed to play and in 1893-4 the ground was converted to Victoria Park, with flower beds, lawns, shrubberies and swings, but no cricket.
