▁ear nings ▁from ▁cr icket ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁property ▁owner ▁and ▁developer . ▁When ▁an ▁opportunity ▁arose ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁le ase hold ▁at ▁Lord ' s , ▁Dark ▁was ▁quick ▁to ▁se ize ▁it . ▁ ▁The ▁current ▁Lord ' s ▁Cr icket ▁Gr ound ▁was ▁opened ▁by ▁Thomas ▁Lord ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 4 , ▁the ▁ground ▁s ited ▁on ▁land ▁that ▁Lord ▁le ased ▁from ▁the ▁E y re ▁Est ate ▁in ▁St ▁John ' s ▁Wood . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 5 , ▁Lord ▁proposed ▁building ▁houses ▁on ▁the ▁land ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁receiving ▁enough ▁re venue ▁from ▁cr icket . ▁There ▁was ▁strong ▁opposition ▁to ▁his ▁idea ▁and ▁he ▁sold ▁his ▁le ase hold ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁ground ▁to ▁William ▁Ward ▁for ▁£ 5 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 5 , ▁Ward ▁sold ▁the ▁le ase hold ▁to ▁Dark ▁who ▁paid ▁£ 2 0 0 0 ▁up front ▁and ▁an ▁ann u ity ▁of ▁£ 4 2 5 ▁to ▁the ▁Ward ▁family ▁through ▁the ▁un exp ired ▁term ▁of ▁the ▁le ase ▁from ▁Michael mas ▁Day ▁ 1 8 3 5 ▁for ▁ 5 9 ▁years ▁( to ▁ 1 8 9 4 ). ▁The ▁r ental ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁E y re ▁Est ate ▁was ▁£ 1 5 0 ▁per ▁an num . ▁ ▁Dark ▁lived ▁close ▁by ▁the ▁ground ▁in ▁a ▁house ▁which ▁was ▁" near ▁the ▁present ▁( in ▁ 1 9 4 5 ) ▁members '