Parker's Piece#Parkside

File:Parkers Piece 1907.png

Before 1613, Parker's Piece was owned by Trinity College.{{cite book|chapter='The city of Cambridge: The growth of the city'|title=A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 3, the City and University of Cambridge|author=J P C Roach|publisher=Victoria County History|year=1959|pages=109–111|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vol3/pp109-111}} In that year, the college exchanged it with the town of Cambridge for Garrett Hostel Green, a site east of the River Cam where the Wren Library of Trinity College now stands.{{cite book|title=Oxford and Cambridge|author1=Christopher Brooke |author2=Roger Highfield |year=1988|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521301398|page=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcambridge00chri/page/27 27] |url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcambridge00chri|url-access=registration}} Parker's Piece takes its name from Edward Parker, a Trinity College cook who had leased 15 acres of this land from the college since 1587, the other 10 acres being held by Elizabeth Sherwood.{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Charles Henry |date=1845 |title=Annals of Cambridge, vol. 3 |location=Cambridge |publisher=Warwick & Co. |page=58–9}}

As a cricket ground, Parker's Piece was used for first-class matches from 1817 to 1864.{{Cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/375_f.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website=cricketarchive.com}}

In the 19th century, it was one of the principal sports grounds used by students at the University of Cambridge and the site of numerous Varsity Matches against Oxford.

Image:Parker's Piece snow 2005.jpg is on the left.]]

In the 19th century, football was also commonly played on this ground, as is described in the following quotation from George Corrie, Master of Jesus College (1838): "In walking with Willis we passed by Parker's Piece and there saw some forty Gownsmen playing at football. The novelty and liveliness of the scene were amusing!"{{Cite web|url=http://www.cuafc.org/history.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061027053608/http://www.cuafc.org/history.php |url-status=usurped |title=C.U.A.F.C. History|archive-date=27 October 2006}}

{{Main|Cambridge rules}}

Parker's Piece has a special place in the history of modern football games, as it was here that several versions of the Cambridge Rules were first put into practice. The 1863 Cambridge rules, advertised in sporting newspapers as newly created for a "game [that] will be played on Friday, 20 Nov, [1863] at 2:15 p.m. on Parker's Piece",{{cite journal |title=Cambridge University |journal=Bell's Life in London |date=1863-11-21 |page=9}} played a significant role in the creation of the first laws of the Football Association published in December of that year.{{Cite web |title=BBC - Cambridgeshire - Sport - Cambridge... the birthplace of football?! |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cambridgeshire/content/articles/2006/06/09/cambridge_football_rules_parkers_piece_feature.shtml |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}

{{main|Combination game}}

The move by the Cambridge University AFC away from Parker's Piece in 1882 coincided with the side's significant role in the development of the modern passing, combination game. In a detailed investigation into the evolution of football tactics based upon contemporary accounts, Adrian Harvey refers to the teams responsible for the early development of the passing game (including Sheffield, The Royal Engineers{{cite book|first=Adrian|last=Harvey|title=Football, the First Hundred Years|year=2005|pages=273, ref 34–119|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0-415-35019-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TxoZ0S-GC7MC}} and Queens Park) but comes to the following conclusion about the finished, modern team product: "Curiously, the side that was generally credited with transforming the tactics of association football and almost single-handedly inventing the modern game was not a professional team but the Cambridge University XI of 1882. Contemporaries described Cambridge as being the first "combination" team in which each player was allotted an area of the field and played as part of a team in a game that was based upon passing".{{cite book|first=Brendan|last=Murphy|title=From Sheffield with Love|year=2007|publisher=Sports Book Limited|isbn=978-1-899807-56-7|page=59}} In a discussion by C.W. Alcock on the history of a "definite scheme of attack" and "elaborate combination" in football playing style, he states in 1891: "The perfection of the system which is in vogue at the present time however is in a very great measure the creation of the last few years. The Cambridge University eleven of 1882 were the first to illustrate the full possibilities of a systematic combination giving full scope to the defence as well as the attack"Association Football, chapter by CW Alcock, The English Illustrated Magazine 1891, page 287

File:Cambridge Rules 1848 monument 1.jpg

In 2000, a plaque was erected in Parker's Piece by a football team consisting of homeless people. It bears the following inscription:{{cite web |date=2013-01-16 |title=Cambridge bids for FA football rules recognition |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-21042458 |access-date=2019-04-04 |publisher=BBC News}}

Here on Parker's Piece, in the 1800s, students established a common set of simple football rules emphasising skill above force, which forbade catching the ball and 'hacking'. These 'Cambridge Rules' became the defining influence on the 1863 Football Association rules.

In May 2018, a monument titled "Cambridge Rules 1848" was installed on Parker's Piece. The monument consists of four stone pillars, engraved with the 1856 Cambridge Rules translated into several languages.{{cite journal |last=Cox |first=Tara |date=2018-05-12 |title=The Parker's Piece football monument has been unveiled – and people aren't happy |url=https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/parkers-piece-cambridge-rules-1848-14649641 |journal=Cambridge News}}{{cite journal |last=Harisha |first=Yasmin |date=2018-05-14 |title=Monument celebrating 170 years of football blasted by critics who say 'it's f****** hideous' |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/monument-celebrating-170-years-football-12534065 |journal=The Mirror}}

File:cmglee Parkers Piece trial lighting.jpg

For a four-week trial beginning January 2013, lighting bollards were temporarily installed along the northwest path, between Reality Checkpoint and Melbourne Place, as residents and students had claimed that Parker's Piece was unsafe after dark. Several attacks had previously occurred in the park.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Lighting-trialled-on-Parkers-Piece-amid-safety-fears-28012013.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130140047/http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Lighting-trialled-on-Parkers-Piece-amid-safety-fears-28012013.htm |url-status=dead |title=Cambridge News - Lighting trialled on Parker's Piece amid safety fears|archive-date=30 January 2013}}

Parkside is the street on the north-east side of the park. Since 2006http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge/Anger-as-coach-stop-is-put-outside-school.htm {{dead link|date=August 2021}} it has been the terminus for long-distance coach services, visitor coaches and a stopping point for local bus services. The street is the location of the city's police and fire stations, and provides access to Parkside Community College.

Image:ISH WC Cambridge15.jpg|Looking towards Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church

Image:Cambridge_Parkers_Piece_Catholic_Church.jpg|The Catholic church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs viewed from Parker's Piece.

Image:Cambridge_Race_For_Life_2011_Parkers_Piece.jpg|Race for Life 2011 at Parker's Piece. The turreted building in the background is the De Vere University Arms Hotel.

Image:Reality_Checkpoint.jpg|Detail of the Reality Checkpoint lamp-post

Image:Parker's Piece toilets Cambridge 01.jpg

Image:Parker's Piece toilets Cambridge 02.jpg

Image:Parker's Piece toilets Cambridge 04.jpg

Image:Cambridge Parkers Piece Bicycle Racks.jpg

Image:Reality Checkpoint Cambridge England.jpg

Image:A cricket match on Parker's Piece - geograph.org.uk - 1333315.jpg

• Christ's Pieces
• Jesus Green

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{{Cambridge University Cricket Club}}

{{Cambridgeshire CCC}}

Category:Parks and open spaces in Cambridge

Category:History of the University of Cambridge

Category:Sport at the University of Cambridge

Category:Cricket grounds in Cambridgeshire

Category:History of football in England

Category:Sports venues in Cambridge

Category:Sports venues completed in 1817