St Lawrence Ground: visitor guide

Frank Woolley is the clear public starting point when cover matters. The lower tier includes covered general-admission viewing and designated wheelchair places; the upper tier has premium and membership routes. Chiesman Pavilion combines traditional rooms with viewing for members and the premium-ticket categories Kent opens. Underwood & Knott is marked members-only on the current map, while Colin Cowdrey’s ordinary outer seating is a member area with separate publicly bookable rooms above.

The wicket lies approximately north-west to south-east. The western and north-western covered seating catches morning light and puts much of the afternoon sun behind it; the southern and eastern boundary receives more direct afternoon light. Cowdrey has a mixed later-day angle. These are general sunny-day directions: the exact roof, tier and front row still decide how much shelter your seat gives.

Les Ames is a hospitality building with private boxes, the Spitfire Bar and Changing Places, not an extra ordinary public stand ticket. General boundary seating and the Southern Bank are other ways to watch when the fixture opens them. Temporary or event seating follows the actual match plan. The club also provides family and alcohol-free areas, which should be selected by their current name rather than inferred from a whole stand.

The current map folds the Cornwallis and MADE AV Harris suites into Colin Cowdrey, and the private boxes into Les Ames. Each named hospitality offer sets its own food, drinks and viewing arrangements. A general ground ticket does not include those rooms. Use Kent’s official hospitality page to compare the actual match packages.

The 2026 ground map replaces the older C28 map. It identifies members’ floors and the permanent buildings alongside open areas; use it with the seating plan shown when you book. Ask Kent about any restricted row or companion place before choosing an ordinary seat.

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Last checked: October 2026

Buy through Kent’s official ticket account. Choose the ground, date and seating entitlement together: Canterbury and Beckenham fixtures are different visits, and a standard ticket is not a premium-room pass. County and international releases also follow separate schedules. If you want a particular sheltered tier, check that named product before completing payment.

England women v Bangladesh is announced for 21 September 2027, with a 12:30 start. Kent’s 2027 annual-package information gives eligible member priority from 23 September 2026, ballot notification on 1 October and general sale on 14 October. Use the international page for the live offer. Gate opening and ticket prices remain TBC where they are not shown in the published information.

Individual 2027 Canterbury Championship, Blast and One-Day Cup prices are TBC. Keep membership and package examples labelled by season, and use the price shown for the fixture you select. For returns, transfers or lost play, read the club’s ticket conditions alongside the rain guide and the ballot and resale guide.

Last checked: October 2026

County membership

Kent’s published 2026 Club Membership was £305 at the standard adult rate (£260 early bird); its 2027 adult price is TBC. The 2027 package includes scheduled home Championship days and men’s and women’s Blast and One-Day Cup games, with members’ areas. Compare county memberships →

Sources: Kent: Canterbury access information · Kent: Spitfires v Middlesex match preview · Kent: St Lawrence ground access information · National Rail: Canterbury East station · Gatwick Airport: train connections

Kent’s Championship days give the ground time to settle: follow a spell from Frank Woolley’s shaded seating, compare the boundary view during an interval and keep a day in the city as an alternative if play finishes early. Individual Canterbury Championship and One-Day Cup prices for 2027 are TBC. Public general admission, premium seating and membership are separate categories; look at the match’s actual ticket choices before relying on a walk-up purchase.

Blast changes both the crowd and the seating arrangements. Choose allocated or premium seats where those products are offered, and arrange the family or alcohol-free area deliberately. As a dated package example, Kent’s 2026 White Ball Pass was £170 in the early-bird window to 31 January 2026, then £190; junior and youth season tickets started at £35. Those are package prices, not a Canterbury single-match tariff.

Kent’s 2027 Club Membership covers scheduled home Championship, men’s and women’s Blast and One-Day Cup fixtures, with members’ facilities on eligible days. Junior ages five to thirteen and youth ages fourteen to seventeen have season-ticket routes that include Frank Woolley Upper. Membership amounts and the exact product offered should be checked in the live ticket account; a pass with fewer benefits is a different purchase.

Chiesman Pavilion and the designated Underwood & Knott seating use members’ or specified premium entitlements. Member seating around Colin Cowdrey also has its own admission conditions. Complimentary guest tickets do not establish access to every members’ room.

Dogs must be kept under control on a short lead and away from places serving unpackaged food. For T20 and international matches, the regulations restrict admission to assistance dogs. Canterbury Cricket Week’s 2027 dates are TBC; the published 174th festival ran from 19 to 28 June 2026. Beckenham remains an active Kent outground, with its 2026 festival including women’s cricket and a Championship match.

County cricket explained: choose a format and plan a day →

Official county-day information: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 · Source 5

County matches also take place at The County Ground, Beckenham. Follow the individual ground guide for its match dates, travel and festival arrangements.

Kent Women played League 2 cricket in 2026, with Derbyshire listed at Canterbury on 19 April. Club membership and White Ball Passes include women’s scheduled home matches. Canterbury women’s fixture source · Women’s county teams and tickets.

Last checked: October 2026

Kent’s current regulations allow outside alcohol only where the match policy permits it. The allowance is four cans or bottles of beer or cider, or one bottle of wine; these are alternatives. No additional alcohol may be brought in on re-entry. The page does not specify container capacities, so do not substitute another county’s millilitre limit.

Current numerical bag dimensions, glass and cool-box rules and own-food permission are TBC in the published regulations. Ask Kent about your actual fixture before packing an unusual container, a bulky picnic or glass. Barbecues and gas cylinders are prohibited. Under-fourteens must be accompanied by an adult, and T20 does not allow readmission.

Flags and banners must meet the fire-safety and conduct requirements and must not obscure others’ views. The club excludes offensive, discriminatory and political material and conflicting sponsor advertising. A specific fancy-dress policy is TBC; check any props with Kent. Use the ground-rules comparison for the correct venue, rather than assuming a county-wide rule.

Last checked: October 2026

Give Canterbury Cathedral a separate visit rather than trying to squeeze it into the lunch interval. Its visitor information explains the current arrangements around services and events; check those before booking a tour or planning a particular part of the building. The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge offers a different indoor option, with art and museum collections that work well on a non-playing day. For a gentler outdoor break, choose Westgate Gardens and the riverside rather than another journey away from the city.

The Goods Shed, beside Canterbury West, combines a farmers’ market, food hall and restaurant. It makes a useful named option for food after play if its restaurant service fits the actual finish; reserve against the restaurant’s current opening information, not an assumed cricket close. If you are staying for Canterbury Cricket Week, keep the Cathedral and Beaney for a free morning or a rest day, then leave the next afternoon for the cricket. Visit Canterbury brings together current events and other ideas in Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay, so you can build an extra day around the weather.

Official Canterbury tourism

Announced: England women v Bangladesh, ODI, 21 September 2027, 12:30. County fixtures, Canterbury Cricket Week dates and the Beckenham allocation for 2027 are TBC until Kent publishes the schedule. Check Kent’s matches for the date and venue together; an opponent alone does not identify which ground hosts the game.

2027 county fixtures

• County Championship 2027 fixtures
• Vitality Blast 2027 fixtures
• One-Day Cup 2027 fixtures
• Women’s county cricket 2027 fixtures

What is the Canterbury cricket ground called now?

Kent’s current ground page and 2026 map use St Lawrence Ground. Older directions and URLs may still say Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence; they refer to the same venue.

Which Canterbury station is nearer?

Kent gives a twenty-minute, one-mile walk from Canterbury East and a thirty-three-minute, one-and-a-half-mile walk from Canterbury West. West has the High Speed connection from St Pancras.

Does hitting the lime tree always score four?

That famous rule belongs to the original tree’s history. Kent’s June 2026 report describes a six hit into the replacement tree by the boundary; a current tree-specific local rule is TBC.

Can I park at St Lawrence Ground?

Kent’s current parking process gives eligible members priority, then releases any remaining spaces publicly. Book the actual fixture; New Dover Road Park & Ride is another option.

Can non-members use the Pavilion?

The club identifies Pavilion access for members and specified premium-ticket holders. Buy that category when offered; ordinary general admission does not include the Pavilion.

Can I bring a dog to county cricket?

Eligible county-day pet dogs must be controlled on a short lead and kept away from unpackaged food. T20 and international matches admit assistance dogs only.

Do I need to print my ticket?

Kent offers mobile downloads, posted physical tickets and box-office collection. The box office is at the Old Dover Road main gate; email tickets@kentcricket.co.uk if your ticket has not arrived.

What time do the gates open?

Kent’s 2026 guide opens gates at 10:00 for Championship and One-Day Cup cricket, and 16:30 for an 18:30 T20 start. September Championship times are 30 minutes earlier; Sunday T20 gates open two hours before play.

What time does play finish?

Check your match guide for the expected finish. Play can finish early or run late.

Can children go on their own?

Ask Kent whether a child needs an adult for your chosen match and what proof of age to bring. Check hospitality age limits and the ID accepted at bars before booking.

Old Dover Road provides step-free access and an accessible drop-off; arrange Blue Badge parking with Kent before travelling. Covered wheelchair viewing is in Frank Woolley lower, with an uncovered platform by Les Ames; contact access@kentcricket.co.uk or 01227 456886, option 1.

Read the Canterbury accessibility guide

First visit · Sun and shade · What you can take in · If it rains · Ballots and resale · Taking the family · County cricket explained