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Summary

Locally listed sports stand and score board of a former baseball diamond, created when RAF Greenham was controlled by the USAAF during the Cold War

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Asset of Community Value: West Berkshire Council No 22 John Mello Playing Field and The Diamond, Pigeons Farm Road, Greenham
  

Monument Type(s):

• BASEBALL COURT (Cold War to Late 20th century - Present - 1970 AD? (pre) to 1998 AD? (pre))
• SCOREBOARD (Cold War to Late 20th century - Present - 1970 AD? (pre) to 1998 AD? (pre))
• PLAYING FIELD (Late 20th century to Early 21st century - 1971 AD to 2050 AD)

Full Description

A playing field is marked on the south-east side of Pigeons Farm Road on the Fifth Edition OS map of 1970 <1> onwards. The Fifth Edition map specifically names it as a baseball field and, as it lies within the former USAAF base at Greenham Common, it is likely that it was constructed by USA Air Force personnel for recreational use during this time.

Although baseball fields are also referred to as baseball diamonds, the overall shape is that of a quarter of a circle. Within this quadrant is a square that includes all the bases and is where most of the action in the game takes place. Although the baseball diamond is no longer visible, a set of wooden bleachers (tiered benches) and a scoreboard survive, both of which can be seen on aerial photographs taken in 2003 <2>.

The playing field was named the John W Mello Field in 1981, in memory of Major John W Mello, who died on duty in March 1981 <3>. He was a member of the military personnel at RAF Welford.

The park and baseball diamond were nominated as an Asset of Community Value in 2021 <4>. This status has a five year duration. The park, including the baseball diamond, bleachers and baseball scoreboard, was Locally Listed in June 2022 <3>. The GIS point to the south marks the bleachers and the GIS point to the east marks the scoreboard.

There is cropmark evidence of another baseball diamond about 300m to the south-west, south of Bury's Bank Road and within the fence line of the former airbase. The chronological relationship of the two playing fields is uncertain, but it seems likely that the Bury's Bank Road one was constructed first as, unlike the John W Mello site, it lacks any extant physical structures such as bleachers and a scoreboard, and is not depicted on the Fifth Edition OS map <1>.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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