Common land dates from medieval times when the manorial system
governed the way land was used.
Under this system, crops were grown on the best soil and the
poorer land - the ‘waste’ or ‘common’
land - was used for grazing and gathering fuel. All the land
was owned by the Lord of the Manor, but some local people (called
commoners) had certain rights to use the common land. These
rights included:
Pasture – grazing of animals
Pannage – pigs allowed to eat acorns and beech mast
Estovers – taking underwood or small branches for
fuel or repairing buildings, taking bracken for animal bedding
Turbary – cutting turf or peat for fuel
Piscary – keeping/taking fish
Common in the soil – taking sand, gravel, stone
or minerals for use on a commoner’s land
Many Chilterns commons show evidence of past industries that
supplied materials for building and furniture-making. Chalk
pits and brick kilns would have been characteristic features
on commons.
In the latter part of the 18th century agriculture became more
profitable as new machinery and farming techniques were developed.
With the passing of the Enclosure Acts many areas of common
or waste land became enclosed and turned over to crop production.
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