Places where sporting history is made enter England's hall of fame

LONDON, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The 10 most historic sports and leisure places in England were named Tuesday by Britain's official cultural organisation.

The Historic England list includes Wimbledon, home of one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world to Aintree Racecourse, home of the world famous steeplechase, the Grand National.

The finishing line of the London Marathon, an Art Deco lido in Brighton on the south coast of England, and the birthplace of the Paralympic Games are also celebrated among 10 places chosen from a long list of public nominations.

The 10 places were selected by a panel of judges, headed by British Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson.

Their list is included in Historic England's "A History of England in 100 places" a campaign.

The campaign aims to find the 100 places which bring England's extraordinary history to life.

Duncan Wilson, CEO of Historic England said: "From tennis and cricket to ballroom dancing and swimming, Tanni Grey-Thompson's selection shows what a rich and varied sporting history we have in England. This category has received the highest number of nominations so far in the campaign, no doubt a testament to our national love and enjoyment of sport and leisure."

Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: "Many of the places that have made the top 10 have witnessed sporting history, but these are also places where ordinary people have completed extraordinary feats or made incredible memories with their families and friends. Sport is such a big part of England's national identity, so it's no surprise that this category stirred a passion in so many people."

The list of 10 also includes the famous Lord's Cricket Ground, at St John's Wood in London which dates back to 1814 and Twickenham Stadium, home of Rugby Union, also in London.

The Crucible Theater in Sheffield, home of the iconic World Snooker Championships, is also on the list. The Mall in London, originally laid out as a field for playing pall-mall, a French game similar to croquet, is the site of the London Marathon's finish line.

Meanwhile Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, home of the Paralympic Games, is also in the list.

The list also includes the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, home of the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics. Enditem