Remember Tothill Fields? Once vast and marshy, it stretched between Westminster and Chelsea. Now, we stand at Westminster School Playing Field. This is a green space born from that very land.
Today, this field is also known as Vincent Square. It offers physical challenges and sporting distractions for Westminster School pupils. Imagine tournaments and even fighting taking place here in medieval times. Henry III even financed the building of his great Abbey from this place. He did it using funds from his annual 15-day Tothill Fair. Troops conducted drill and musket practice here during the Civil War.
Westminster boys were drawn to these fields. Activities included duck shooting, ice skating, and donkey racing. Cricket emerged early here. Competitive matches were played in the mid-1700s. This was long before the laws of the game were written. The Scholars versus Town Boys match was the season’s highlight.
By the early 1800s much of Tothill Fields was being lost to housing. William Vincent was the Dean of Westminster. He sought to preserve an area for the school’s exclusive use. In 1810 he marked off ten acres. He paid just three pounds for a furrow to be ploughed around it. Later, it was fully enclosed with a fence. The Public Schools Act of 1868 confirmed the land as the school’s. Tothill Fields had gone. Vincent Square was born.
Westminster played cricket against Charterhouse in 1794. They also played Eton in 1796. In the 1800s sporting competition exploded. Regular fixtures were introduced. These included matches against MCC, Lords and Commons, and other schools.
Football arrived here in 1854. Rules varied between schools then. Handling the ball and drop kicks were common. In 1863 Etonians complained about the clashing of the rules. The Westminster Charterhouse fixture began in 1863. It claims to be the longest continuous football fixture in the world. Westminster and Charterhouse also competed for the right to wear pink.
The Pavilion dates from 1888. Richard Creed was the Scottish architect. Funds came from various sources. These included the Elizabethan Club, the Governing body, and Old Westminsters. The clock was a gift. Old Westminster members of parliament and Llewellyn Atherley-Jones donated it. The building was unveiled in 1898. It happened at a match between the School and the Lords and Commons.
During the Munich Crisis in the 1930s Vincent Square was requisitioned by the government. Shelter trenches were dug. A concrete barrage balloon base was constructed. After the War, the site was abandoned. Railings were removed for scrap iron. The area was littered with war remnants. The pavilion was partially wrecked. Rebuilding was slow. Competition only resumed in June 1948.
In 2023 the pavilion was extended and revamped. New playing surfaces were added. Roland Butcher reopened the square. He was England’s first black Test cricket player. He also coached at the school. The School Pavilion was refurbished and extended. Ptolemy Dean designed two new wings. All ten acres of the playing fields were renewed. New drainage and irrigation were installed.
Today, Westminster School Playing Field stands ready. It stands for sport and recreation. It provides for pupils in all weathers. It is a testament to the school’s history. This field is also a link to its vibrant past. It is a legacy Dean Vincent created for generations to enjoy.