Lord's

The self-proclaimed home of cricket has been the game's headquarters since 1787. Despite moving location three times, the current St John's Wood pitch has existed since 1814 and continues to inspire reverential sentimentality in the game's players and fans. Playwright Harold Pinter once proclaimed Lord's Long Room 'the greatest room in the world', while Andrew Flintoff feels 'there's nowhere on earth like it'. Visitors can take a tour of Lord's and the Long Room (a museum which houses battered bats, photos, blazers and, cricket's most prestigious icon, the Ashes urn) and the JP Morgan Media Centre - an ultramodern raised pod that affords VIP views.

The London 2012 Olympic Games will use this splendid setting to showcase a sport of even longer pedigree: Archery. The juxtaposition of the regal Victorian pavilion and the strikingly modern white media centre should be enjoyed by 6,500 spectators.