Wargrave Inclosure Award 1818

This document is available at Berkshire Records Office under reference Q/RDS/27, dated 11 April 1818. Examined by Ross Kennedy at BRO on the 15th April 2003.

It comprises a roll many feet long, made up of sheets of parchment stitched together. The document is hand written, and mostly clearly legible.

To begin with, the document initially sets down those involved, naming –

Commissioner – John Davis, Bloxham, Oxfordshire

Surveyor – Henry Dixon, Oxford

and various local landowners.

Next, the authority for the enclosure is set down -

Whereas in and by and Act of Parliament made and passed in the Fifty fourth year of the Reign of his present Majesty King George the third intitled “An Act for inclosing Lands in the Parishes of Wargrave and Warfield in the County of Berks” … … subject to the Rules Orders Directions and Regulations mentioned and contained in a certain other Act of Parliament therein recited made and passed in the forty first year of the Reign of his said present Majesty intitled “An Act for consolidating in one act certain provisions usually inserted in acts of Inclosure..” except in such cases where the same are by the said first mentioned Act altered or varied and as in the said first mentioned Act is enacted and mentioned,

So these Awards are made under the authority, terms and conditions of –

a)The “Inclosure Consolidation Act” 1801, 41Geo3 c.109

b)The Wargrave & Warfield Local Act 1814, 54Geo3 c.??

Ideally this Award should be read in conjunction with the two Acts to understand the full effects and limitations. The first is a Public Act and should be generally available (for example, from the Record Office reference library). The Second is a Local Act, and unfortunately is not included on the RO shelves.

The award then goes on to set out the ways -

He the said Commissioner hath set out and appointed and doth hereby award and confirm the several Public Carriage Roads and Highways Private Roads and footways through and over the Lands and Grounds by the said first mentioned Act directed to be divided allotted and Inclosed within the said Parish of Wargrave hereinafter mentioned and described (that is to say) –

Public Carriage Roads and Highways

The Above Town Road – Twenty feet wide (except where it is bounded by old Inclosures) leading out of the Harehatch Road at Mumby Hatch in a Northward direction between old Inclosures of John Sharp and Sarah Hill respectively and allotments to Edmund Watling Susannah Guy the Tythingman of Whistley, Thomas Thompson, Lord Braybrooke and Sarah Hill respectively and by or between old Inclosures of the said Sarah Hill and Ann Piggott respectively into the Blakes Road.

The Hare Hatch Road – Thirty feet wide (except where it is bounded by old Inclosures) leading out of the village of Wargrave Southward and then Eastward into the London and Bath Turnpike Road

The Ruscomb Road – Thirty feet wide leading out of the London and Bath Turnpike road at Harehatch South Eastward to Hill farm Cross

The Milley Field Road – Thirty feet wide (except where it is bounded by old Inclosures) leading from Hill Farm Cross South Eastward into the parish of Waltham Saint Lawrence.

The Scarletts Road – Thirty feet wide leading from Hill Farm Cross North Eastward over High Cock Hutt and Kiln Green into the London and Bath Turnpike Road

The Bear Hill Road – Thirty feet wide leading out of the London and Bath Turnpike Road at Kiln Green North Westward to the Park belonging to Sir Moris Ximenes into the Wargrave Wood and Beargrove Lane.

The Holt Road – Thirty feet wide leading out of the London and Bath Turnpike Road at the Holt North Westward between old Inclosures of the Heirs or Devisees of James Leigh Perrot Esquire John A’Bear and Sir Moris Ximenes respectively to Eldalls Farm gate

The Blakes Road – Thirty feet wide leading from Dean Pit Corner Westward by Bear Row across the xxxx xxxx xxxx through Blakes Lane xxxx [not legible on crease in parchment] part of Royal Hill Field to Newells Cottage then South Westward over Pur Field to the Hats Plantation and Above Town Field to the village of Wargrave

The Pur Field Road – thirty feet wide leading out of the Blakes Road Northward over Pur Field and Pate Field to Crouch End Lane

The Langham Road – Thirty feet wide leading out of the Purfield Road North Eastward over Purfield and Langham Field into High Field Lane

The Bowsey Hill Road – Thirty feet wide leading from Eldalls Farm Gate North Westward then North Eastward and then North Westward over Bowsey Hill into Cock Pole Lane

Private Carriage and Drift Roads

No.I One private Carriage and Drift Road twenty feet wide leading out of the London and Bath Turnpike Road at the Holt North Westward between the allotment to James Stanbrook and an allotment to Fanny Young into Casicford Ground and Dean Close, which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the owners and Occupiers of each and every allotment Cottage Homestead and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.II One other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide leading out of the London and Bath Turnpike Road at Kiln Green South Eastward between an allotment to Harry Fonnereau Esquire and an allotment to the Reverend Benjamin Rudge to Thomas Oxlades Cottage and Garden which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment Cottage Homestead and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.III One other private Carriage and Drift Road thirty feet wide leading out of the London and Bath Turnpike Road at the Sandhills Northward between allotments to Thomas Botham and William Curtis respectively and an allotment to Harry Fonnereau to old Inclosures of the said Harry Fonnereau and the Trustees of Maidenhead Charity respectively - which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment Cottage Homestead and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.IV One other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide (except where it is bounded by old Inclosures) leading out of the Blakes Road Northward between allotments to an old Inclosures of Ann Piggott and the Devisees in Trust of John Montague and allotments to Hannah Whitfield Sir Moris Ximenes and the heirs or Devisees of the Reverend John Tickell respectively to an old Inclosure of Edward Fremont - which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment Cottage Homestead and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.V One other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide leading out of the Bowsey Hill Road Northward between old Inclosures of and allotments to Sir Moris Ximenes old Inclosures of and allotments to Edward Wise Charles Stockes Thomas Taylor the Reverend Oliver Doyley Saint John and Stephen Round respectively into Cockpole Lane - which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment Cottage Homestead and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.VI One other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide leading from Backside end Lane Eastward then Northward between allotments to Thomas Thompson to the south eastward corner of an old Inclosure of Mary Stanbrook - which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment Cottage Homestead and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.VII One other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide leading out of the Harehatch Road at Mumby Hatch North Eastward between old Inclosures of and an allotment to Eliza Silver and Harriet Silver to Wargrave Workhouse - which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment Cottage Homestead and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.VIII One other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide leading out of the Wargrave and Henley Road at the South East Gate of Wargrave Meadow Northwestward then Northward and again Northwestward through the said meadow to Fordhouse Lane - which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.IX One other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide leading out of the last described Road by an allotment to Sarah Hill NorthEastward and then Northward by the west side of the Moor Closes to an old Inclosure belonging to John Sharp called the Acres, which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.X One other private Carriage and Drift Road thirty feet wide leading out of the London and Bath Turnpike road at the Sandhills Northward by old Inclosures and cottages belonging to William Curtis and the Trustees of Maidenhead Charity and an allotment to the said William Curtis, which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment Cottage Homestead and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.XI One other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide leading out of the Bowsey Hill Road at the Northwest Corner of Bear Grove in a Northwestward direction then Southwestward between an allotment to Edward Fremont and old Inclosure of Sir Moris Ximenes a cottage and Garden and an old Inclosure of Edward Wise to an old Inclosure of the said Edward Fremont called Hedge Birds - which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment Cottage Homestead and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.XII One other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide leading out of the London and Bath Turnpike road at the Sandhills Southward between an old Inclosure of and an allotment to Thomas Botham and an allotment to Henry Newman to an old Inclosure called Gallants belonging to Harry Fonnereau Esquire which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment Cottage Homestead and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.XIII One other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide leading out of the Purfield Road at Crock End Westward then Northward between an old Inclosure of Zachary Allnutt and an allotment to John Sharp to an old Inclosure of the said Zacahary Allnutt - which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of each and every Allotment and old Inclosure adjoining thereto

No.XIIII And one other private Carriage and Drift Road Twenty feet wide leading out of the London and Bath Turnpike Road at Hare Hatch Southward between an allotment to William Garrard to an ancient Stable belonging to the Heirs or Devisees of William Keely which said road is set out and appointed for the use of the Owners and Occupiers of the said Stable

Public Footways

No.I One Public Footway of the breadth of six feet leading out of the private Road No.VII Northeastward over an Allotment to Mrs. Ann Piggott into Blakes Road

No.II And one other public footway of the breadth of six feet leading out of the Blakes Road at Newells Green in its present Track North Eastward over allotments to John Sharp Sarah Hill the Heirs or Devisees of the Reverend John Tickell to the private Road No.4 and along the same and over an allotment to Sir Moris Ximenes into an old Inclosure called Hedgelands

AND the said commissioner doth hereby declare that the said several public and private roads and ways herein before described and awarded are all that he doth adjudge to be necessary to be set out and Awarded by him within the said Parish of Wargrave

AND the said Commissioner doth hereby order and direct that all the said Private Roads and ways so herein before awarded shall for ever hereafter be made maintained and kept in repair by and at the expense of the Owners and Occupiers of Estates for which use the same private Roads are so set out appointed and Awarded respectively according and in proportion to the Number of Acres of Land of each and every such proprietor which shall be occupied used or enjoyed by means or by the use of such private Roads and Ways respectively

AND the said Commissioner doth hereby further order and direct that the several proprietors for the time being of the several allotments and old Inclosures through and over which the said several footways are hereinbefore Directed to pass shall at their Own Expence respectively make and for ever after maintain Good and Sufficient Gates or Stiles in the fences intercepting such footways with proper planks or bridges and Hand Rails over the ditches and watercourses in their respective Allotments and old Inclosures

AND the said Commissioner doth hereby further order and direct that all the Grass and herbage Growing arising and xxxing [illegible] in and upon the several public and private Roads and Ways herein before set out appointed and Awarded shall for ever hereafter belong to and be the sole right and property of the several persons whose Allotments or Estates adjoin thereto respectively on either side thereof so far as such Allotments or Estates respectively extend as far as the Crown of such respective roads or ways as by the said Act of the forty first year of the Reign of said present Majesty is directed

AND the said Commissioner doth hereby order and direct that all the Public Watercourses within the said Parish of Wargrave shall for ever hereafter be kept cleansed and scoured out by and at the expense of the several persons whose old Inclosed lands and Grounds adjoin thereto in the same manner as such watercourses were or ought in Right to have been kept Cleansed and Scoured out if the said first mentioned Act had not been made and passed and where such watercourses pass through or between any of the hereby Allotted lands in that case by the several persons to whom such lands are so Allotted.

AND the said Commissioner in further pursuance of the said Acts of Parliament hath set out and Appointed and doth hereby allot and award unto the Surveyors of the Highways within the said Parish of Wargrave for the time being for ever as and for a public Gravel and Stone pit –

One parcel of land situate in Wargrave meadow containing two Acres two Roods and thirteen perches bounded by Allotment to Richard Mathews Esquire and Charlotte Hodges respectively and the private Road No.8

The major part of the Award then follows, allotting parcels of land to various people. Many of the allotments are described as bounded in part by some of the previously awarded roads. As those roads are readily identified on the award map I have not reproduced those many awards.

A few allotments however mention other previously existing roads, these follow. Note that the map is annotated with land parcel numbers that do not directly relate to this inclosure; it may perhaps have been derived from tithe data.

5th allotment to John A’Bear

One other parcel of land situate in the little Bell Lane and High Cock Hutt containing one Rood and Twenty one Perches Bounded by an old Inclosure of the said John A’Bear the London and Bath Turnpike Road and Allotments to an old Inclosure of Fanny Young

This would appear to be parcel 662 on the map, and effectively obliterates the north end of Little Bell Lane.

1st allotment to Zachary Allnut

One parcel of land situate in Great Pennys Field containing one Acre one rood and Thirteen Perches bounded by Pennys Lane and allotments to John Sharp John Newell A’Bear and the Honourable Frederick West respectively

This would correspond with parcel 141 on the map.

2nd allotment to Zachary Allnutt

One parcel of land situate Front of Chamberlains Cottage Containing sixteen Perches bounded by an old Inclosure of the said Zachary Allnut and the road leading to Crazies Hill

This would appear to be the highway verge fronting plot 165 on Crouch End Lane.

1st allotment to William Aynge

One parcel of land situate near Stanfords Meadow containing two Roods and four perches bounded by Standfords Lane and old Inclosures of the said William Aynge