• Wolvercote Common

    Viv Lewis (16/01/2017)

    About 6 years ago the Wolvercote Commoners' Committee wanted to reinstate aftermath grazing on one of our parcels of common (Wolvercote Green - 4 acres), but was struggling to find a commercial grazier who would provide the few cattle needed to graze the Green to help get it back into good (haymeadow) condition, so a commoner with cattle rights (who had farming experience but who had never...

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  • SHORT HISTORY OF DITCHLING COMMON AND TENANTRY DOWN

    Viv Lewis (09/10/2015)

    There are two commons in the Parish of Ditchling; Tenantry Down on Ditchling Beacon and Ditchling Common itself, about two miles to the north of the village.  Rights of Common still apply to both areas as they have done since feudal times.  Originally the Commons and the farms around them belonged to the Lord of the Manor, the Marquis of Abergavenny.  His tenant farmers, (the...

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  • Black Fell Common, Caton-with-Littledale, Lancashire

    Viv Lewis (20/12/2012)

    Common CL123, known as Black Fell Common in the parish of Caton-with-Littledale lies 5 miles east from Lancaster City centre. Overlooking Morecambe Bay and the Lakeland Hills it lies between Clough Pike and Ward Stone, the highest point in the Bowland Area. It is on the north east side of the Abbeystead Estate that has been owned by the Grosvenor Estate since 1980. Historically records show that...

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  • Allendale and Hexhamshire, Northumberland

    Viv Lewis (20/12/2012)

    Allendale and Hexhamshire commons are located south of Hexham, Northumberland in the north Pennines. During the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic the vast majority of the hefted flocks on the Allendale and Hexhamshire commons were culled. This left 4,800 ha of Site of Special Interest (SSSI) common land with virtually no sheep and no future. Starting in early 2002 the graziers began to re-introduce...

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