This is the enclosure map for the village of Upton in the parish of Hurstbourne Tarrant in North West Hampshire. It is dated 1735 and described as 'A mapp of the new Inclosure of the Common Down and Common Fields at Upton in the parish of Hurstbourne Tarrant'. The area depicted includes all buildings in the village, and the existing enclosures.
Enclosure maps were produced to show the results of the process of enclosing the common fields in a parish.
Generally, early enclosures were made by private agreement between landowners and, even when the agreement was formally written down, there was usually no accompanying map. However from the mid-eighteenth century, enclosure by Act of Parliament became common.
The Act appointed Commissioners to allot the common land in a parish to the principal landowners in as fair a way as possible. Their decisions were noted in a schedule called an award, and a map was drawn up to accompany this text.
Occasionally, a pre-enclosure map was also made so that the situation before and after enclosure could be compared.
Together, the enclosure map and award provide a wealth of detail about land use, settlement patterns, ownership and tenure, field names and boundaries, rights of way, roads and footpaths, and responsibilities for public places.
The award which accompanies this map is also held by Hampshire Archives and Local Studies. It is dated 18 November 1735 and also describes in detail the roads, including width and who is responsible for their maintenance. Roads 'to be levelled within three months' of the agreement.
It includes an order for 'a drove from the lane near George Canning's dwelling house leading into the Cow Down field' and describes in detail the route of the drove.
Catalogue record for 7M87/11/5 Upton Enclosure Map
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