The Spin | The sleepy English hotel where Bradman and Australia left cricket memories galore

The Maynard, an inn in the Peak District village of Grindleford, holds a rich history as a countryside retreat for international cricket teams during the 20th century. Touring Australian sides stayed at the hotel across several decades, beginning in 1930 when a 21-year-old Don Bradman first visited to escape the noise and industry of nearby Sheffield during county matches.

The hotel commemorates this heritage by displaying historical memorabilia and naming 15 rooms after touring cricketers, including Bradman, Chuck Fleetwood-Smith, and several members of the 1951 South African squad. Notable tour memories associated with the inn include Lindsay Hassett sneaking a goat into Stan McCabe's room in 1938 and Keith Miller rushing in a rented undertaker's Rolls-Royce to Bramall Lane in 1953.