St John's Wood Road · London NW8 8QN · Capacity 31,100
Lord's Cricket Ground Transfers – Fixed Price Quote, Book Online 24/7
Lord's is the most rule-bound sporting venue in England, and most of the rules are about things visitors do not expect: what you may wear in certain areas, when you may move to your seat, what you may bring in. None of that is difficult once you know. It is only difficult at the gate.
Residential St John's Wood, with tight streets, permit parking on all sides and a Test crowd of thirty thousand arriving into it. Being dropped is not a luxury here; it is the only sensible way to arrive.
The things that catch people out
Check the current conditions of entry with the club before you travel, since they change. These are the areas to look at.
In certain areas
Parts of the ground, notably the Pavilion, have a dress requirement. Your ticket type determines whether it applies to you.
Restricted in places
In some stands you may not move to or from your seat while the ball is in play. Arrive between overs.
Check the list
Bag size, food and alcohol rules are specific and enforced. Read them rather than assuming.
At all
Residential permit streets on every side. There is nowhere to leave a car, which is the whole point of a drop-off.
Kent to St John's Wood
North west London, and a longer run than most Kent visitors expect from a central postcode.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Match day journey |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 16 miles | 55–85 min |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 17 miles | 55–85 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 23 miles | 65–95 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 28 miles | 70–100 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 28 miles | 70–105 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 38 miles | 85–115 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 39 miles | 85–120 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 62 miles | 105–140 min |
A day at the cricket is a long one
This is the practical difference from every other venue on our list, and it changes how the booking works.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Play starts | Usually 11:00, and gates open well before |
| Lunch | Around 13:00, forty minutes |
| Tea | Around 15:40, twenty minutes |
| Close of play | Around 18:00, later if overs are owed |
| Bad light or rain | Can end the day early or extend it. Neither is predictable |
| Which means | An open return, not a fixed one. We work on a call when you are ready |
Getting to and from Lord's
Cricket does not finish at a set time
Every other venue we cover has a final whistle. Cricket has a scheduled close that moves: overs owed push it later, bad light or rain end it hours early, and a Test can finish inside three days. Booking a return for six o'clock and hoping is the wrong approach. We work these on a call when your group is ready to leave, holding nearby, which suits the way the day actually runs.
Read the conditions of entry first
Not because they are onerous, but because they are specific and they are enforced at the gate, which is not where you want to discover them. Bag sizes, what you may bring in, dress requirements in particular parts of the ground, and the rule about moving to your seat during play. The club publishes them and they change from season to season.
NW8 has nowhere to park
St John's Wood is residential on every side of the ground with permit controls throughout, and thirty thousand people arriving for a Test do not fit into it. There is no public parking and no realistic prospect of finding any. A drop-off on a nearby road and a short walk is the arrangement that works, and we set the exact point by the gate on your ticket.
Arrive earlier than for football
Gates open well before play and the queues at a Test are substantial, particularly on a Saturday. Getting in half an hour before the first ball rather than five minutes before is the difference between a relaxed start and missing the opening overs. We plan the arrival on that basis unless you tell us otherwise.
Lord's questions
Rules, timings and getting there.
Is there parking at Lord's?
No public parking at all. St John's Wood is residential with permit controls on every side. A drop-off and short walk is the only sensible arrangement.
Is there a dress code?
In certain areas, notably the Pavilion. Whether it applies to you depends on your ticket type. Check the club's current conditions of entry before you travel.
Can we move around during play?
In some stands you may not move to or from your seat while the ball is in play. The convention is to move between overs. It catches first-time visitors out.
What can we bring in?
There are specific rules on bag size, food and alcohol which are enforced at the gate. Read the club's published list rather than assuming, because they change between seasons.
How do returns work if the day might end early?
We work Lord's on an open return, holding nearby and coming to you on a call when your group is ready. Bad light, rain or overs owed all move the close of play, so a fixed time rarely fits.
What time should we arrive?
Earlier than for football. Gates open well before the eleven o'clock start and Test queues are substantial, particularly on a Saturday. Half an hour before the first ball is comfortable.
How long does it take from Kent?
Around an hour from Bromley to two and a half hours from east Kent. NW8 is further across London than it looks from a map.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking. For an open return we agree the waiting arrangement in advance so nothing is added afterwards.
Cricket grounds and guides
Test grounds and county cricket.
Travel guides
Local know-how: Lord’s Cricket Ground
Lord’s asks visitors to avoid driving unless they need access, and it publishes no taxi or private-hire drop-off point. We agree your pickup point at booking. The ground has three gates, North, East and Grace. Buses 13 and 113 on Wellington Road stop nearest the North and East Gates, while buses 139 and 189 on Grove End Road stop nearest Grace Gate. St John’s Wood (Jubilee line) is about a 10-minute walk, and the ground runs a queuing system after major events. Other stations are Marylebone (12 minutes), Warwick Avenue (17), Baker Street (18), and Paddington and Edgware Road (20 each). Tell us which stand your ticket is for and we will suggest a sensible meeting point for that side of the ground. Fares are fixed when you book.