GroundsFest Academy Goes Behind the Scenes at Lord’s

Selected attendees from GroundsFest Academy events were recently given the opportunity to experience a truly unforgettable day at Lord’s Cricket Ground, widely regarded as the Home of Cricket.

The exclusive experience day offered delegates a behind-the-scenes look at elite-level turf management within one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues. Hosted by Lord’s Head Groundsman Karl McDermott, the day combined practical learning, networking, and insight into the precision and planning required to maintain world-class cricket surfaces.

Throughout the morning, attendees explored every aspect of stadium turf management, including access and zoning logistics, matchday preparation, wicket and outfield construction, drainage and irrigation systems, grass species selection, and managing weather impacts. Delegates were also given access to machinery, equipment, and operational areas rarely seen by the public, alongside a personal tour of the famous square and outfield.

The Home of Cricket

For Peter Dawson from Berkshire College of Agriculture, the visit was both inspiring and educational.

“Obviously, Lord’s is iconic – the home of cricket. It’s been fantastic. Karl took us around the ground, showed us the pitches and explained the techniques behind preparation and renovation. I really enjoyed learning about how he works with his staff and apprentices, particularly the responsibility they’re given. Each member of staff prepares their own pitch for matches, which I thought was a brilliant way to help people learn and develop confidence.

It’s definitely something I can take back into my apprenticeship role at BCA.”

Mark Morgan from Belper Meadows Cricket Club described the experience as a “bucket list” moment.

“When you hear the word Lord’s, you immediately think of the best-looking ground in the world and the home of cricket. To actually walk onto the square and see how everything operates behind the scenes was incredible. We learnt so much about renovations, pitch planning, wetting agents, and the processes they use throughout the season. Karl was brilliant and really open with sharing his knowledge. It’s also fantastic what GroundsFest is doing because there aren’t many opportunities like this available to everyday groundspeople.”

Knowledge Across Turf

For Greenkeeper Garry Letheren, the experience highlighted how knowledge can transfer across different sectors of the industry.

“You see Lord’s on television all the time, but to come here and understand what goes into maintaining it is something completely different. Even though I work in golf, there are still so many practices and ideas you can take away and adapt. Karl showed us everything from pitch preparation stages to machinery and long-term planning across the year. It was incredibly insightful and a fantastic opportunity to actually walk on the outfield and see things up close.”

GroundsFest Academy Director of Education Bradley Tennant said the experience days were created to give something extra back to the industry.

“The whole reason behind these days was to create new opportunities and give more back to the industry. We already provide free educational events, but these experience days allow selected attendees to step inside environments they may never normally get to see. Venues like Lord’s are iconic, and for many people this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s not just about seeing the venue; it’s about learning from experienced professionals, sharing stories, networking, and taking ideas back into the workplace. The feedback we’ve had has been incredibly positive and we’ll definitely be doing more experience days in the future.”

The GroundsFest Academy experience at Lord’s once again demonstrated the value of hands-on learning, industry collaboration, and creating opportunities for professionals to gain insight from some of the very best in the business.

The free sustainability assessment tool is now available at www.groundsfestacademy.com