Boundaries Marked 1833 Alan Payne January 2026
Map 1 Overview (ALL maps are courtesy Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre)
Archives are magical places, full of forgotten treasures once thought to be significant. Sometimes they offer surprise discoveries when looking for something entirely different. This happened to me when I found the origin of wayside markers signifying the boundaries between Box and Ditteridge parishes throughout the area.
In the records of the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre are the Great Rolls of the Quarter Sessions of the Justices of the Peace for Wiltshire, split into the four sessions that the court was held. It was a system of hearing disputes and adjudicating in local government, a process which controlled civil matters from 1388 until the introduction of local government (1875 in Box).
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Surveyor’s Visit, 9 December 1833 In the Roll for the Hilary Session of 1834 are the court details for December the previous year and the report of William Hulbert, Surveyor of Highways, on his visit to Box on 9 December 1833.[1] The map is a little dog-eared but was clearly important. The index to the map gives the following instructions:
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Typical boundary marker (courtesy Carol Payne)
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The Surveyor’s report states that:
“Whereas on the ninth day of December one thousand eight hundred and thirty three William Hulbert, one of the Surveyors of the Highways of the Parish of Box in the County of Wilts personally came before Walter Coleman, Esquire, one of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the said County of Wilts and gave him to be informed that there were in the said Parish of Box in the said County certain Common Highways which were delineated on the map or plan thereof to his said information and hereto annexed and that there were certain parts of the said Highways one side of which adjoining to the said Parish of Box lies in the said Parish of Box and is to be and of right ought to be repaired by the said Parish of Box and that the other side of the same part of the said Highways adjoining to the Parish of Ditteridge and is to be and of right ought to be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge and stating that the repair of such parts of the said Highways was very inconvenient to the said Parishes and the want thereof detrimental to the public and therefore prayed that such parts of the said Highways might be allotted and apportioned for the repair thereof to the said several Parishes of Box and Ditteridge in the manner directed by an Act passed in the thirty fourth year of the Reign of King George the Third intitled “An Act for the more effectively repairing of such parts of the Highways of this Kingdom as are to be repaired by two Parishes.”
And whereas John Olman one of the Surveyors of the Highways of the said Parish of Ditteridge hath thus appeared before us the said Walter Coleman and George Poulett Scrope, Esquire, one other of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the said County in pursuance of a summons of the said Walter Coleman for that purpose to show cause (if any) why an allotment and apportionment of the said several Highways in the said recited information mentioned or referred to should not be made according to the provisions of the said recited Act.”
“Whereas on the ninth day of December one thousand eight hundred and thirty three William Hulbert, one of the Surveyors of the Highways of the Parish of Box in the County of Wilts personally came before Walter Coleman, Esquire, one of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the said County of Wilts and gave him to be informed that there were in the said Parish of Box in the said County certain Common Highways which were delineated on the map or plan thereof to his said information and hereto annexed and that there were certain parts of the said Highways one side of which adjoining to the said Parish of Box lies in the said Parish of Box and is to be and of right ought to be repaired by the said Parish of Box and that the other side of the same part of the said Highways adjoining to the Parish of Ditteridge and is to be and of right ought to be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge and stating that the repair of such parts of the said Highways was very inconvenient to the said Parishes and the want thereof detrimental to the public and therefore prayed that such parts of the said Highways might be allotted and apportioned for the repair thereof to the said several Parishes of Box and Ditteridge in the manner directed by an Act passed in the thirty fourth year of the Reign of King George the Third intitled “An Act for the more effectively repairing of such parts of the Highways of this Kingdom as are to be repaired by two Parishes.”
And whereas John Olman one of the Surveyors of the Highways of the said Parish of Ditteridge hath thus appeared before us the said Walter Coleman and George Poulett Scrope, Esquire, one other of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the said County in pursuance of a summons of the said Walter Coleman for that purpose to show cause (if any) why an allotment and apportionment of the said several Highways in the said recited information mentioned or referred to should not be made according to the provisions of the said recited Act.”
Justices’ Decision, 18 December 1833
The Justices were required to make a decision, which they did about a week later, accepting that 31 different wayside boundary markers be set up between Box and Ditteridge.
“NOW we the Justices aforesaid having fully heard and understood the premises (illegible) adjudge and order that the said several Highways in information mentioned or referred to and in the said map thereof hereto annexed particularly delineated divided in the following manner (that is to say):[2]
The Justices were required to make a decision, which they did about a week later, accepting that 31 different wayside boundary markers be set up between Box and Ditteridge.
“NOW we the Justices aforesaid having fully heard and understood the premises (illegible) adjudge and order that the said several Highways in information mentioned or referred to and in the said map thereof hereto annexed particularly delineated divided in the following manner (that is to say):[2]
Map 2 shows items 1, 2 and 3
- Item 1 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up intended to be set up and marked with the letters or near a place called Green Lane and extending to Colerne containing in length four hundred and twenty links being the end towards a quarry called Ingles coloured green on the said plan shall from time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 2 above)
- Item 2 That that part of the Highway commencing a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B at a place called Lidbrooks containing in length twenty five links and coloured on the said plan green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 2 above)
- Item 3 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D on the upper part of Carter’s Lane containing in length twenty five links and coloured red on the said Plan shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 2 above)
Map 3 shows itemd 4 and 5
- Item 4 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B at or near a place called “the Salt Box” and extending towards Drewett’s Mill containing in length two hundred and fifty six links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 3 above)
- Item 5 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D and extending towards Colerne containing in length two hundred and fifty six links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 3 above)
Map 4 shows item 6
- Item 6 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B at or near a place called Bencross and extending to the Cottage by Middle Hill containing in length five hundred and fifty links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. ( Map 4 above)
Map 5 shows items 7 to 17
- Item 7 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D at or near the said place called Bencross and extending towards China Court containing in length six hundred and sixty links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 5 above)
- Item 8 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D at or near the said place called Hancocks and extending towards China Court containing in length two hundred and twenty six links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 5 above)
- Item 9 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B extending towards Box containing in length two hundred and twenty six links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 5 above)
- Item 10 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D at or near Ford’s Cottage and extending towards Alcomb containing in length six hundred and thirty seven links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 5 above)
- Item 11 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B at or near Alcomb Green extending towards China Court containing in length seven hundred and ten links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 5 above)
- Item 12 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B at or near the Lower Corner of Chaff Croft extending towards China Court containing in length three hundred and ninety links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 5 above)
- Item 13 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D and extending towards Road Hill containing in length four hundred and sixty three links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 5 above)
- Item 14 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D and extending towards the old Road Hill containing in length one thousand and seventy seven links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 5 above)
- Item 15 That that part of the Highway adjoining to that last described commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B extending towards Box containing in length one thousand and seventy seven links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 5 above)
- Item 16 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D at or near Alcomb Hill and extending towards Cole’s Lane containing in length three hundred and fifty links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 5 above)
- Item 17 That that part of the Highway adjoining to that last described commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B extending towards a place called Bumper containing in length three hundred and fifty links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 5 above)
Map 6 shows items 18 to 23
- Item 18 That that part of the Highway adjoining to that last described commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B extending towards Shockerwick containing in length four hundred and eighty eight links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 6 above)
- Item 19 That that part of the Highway adjoining to that last described commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B in Cole’s Lane and extending towards Middle Hill containing in length five hundred links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 6 above)
- Item 20 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D at or near Hobbs Barn and extending towards Shockerwick containing in length nine hundred and eighty eight links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 6 above)
- Item 21 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D at or near Cuttins (sic) Mill and extending towards the Bath Turnpike Road containing in length three hundred and fifty links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 6 above)
- Item 22 That that part of the Highway adjoining to that last described commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B extending towards Middle Hill containing in length three hundred and fifty links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 6 above)
- Item 23 That the Bridge over the old River near the last described part of the Highway being the boundary of the two parishes and the rails on the said Bridge shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by each of the said Parishes in equal proportions. (Map 6 above)
Map 7 shows items 24 and 25
- Item 24 That that part of the Highway adjoining to that last described commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B near the River and extending towards the Bath Turnpike Road containing in length two hundred links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 7 above)
- Item 25 That the following two hundred links of the same Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D and extending to the Bridge and coloured on the said Map red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 7 above)
Map 8 shows items 26 and 27
- Item 26 That that part of the Highway adjoining to that last described commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B in Wormcliffe Lane and extending towards Bath Ford containing in length four hundred and ten links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 8 above)
- Item 27 That that part of the same Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D and extending towards Ashley containing in length four hundred and ten links and coloured on the said Map red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 8 above)
Map 9 shows items 28 and 29
- Item 28 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B and extending towards the Bath Turnpike Road containing in length three hundred and fourteen links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 9 above)
- Item 29 That that part of the same Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D extending towards Gay’s Hill containing in length three hundred and fourteen links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 9 above)
Map 10 shows items 30 and 31
- Item 30 That that part of the Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked B at or near a place called Henley and extending towards Long Plat End containing in length one hundred links and coloured on the said Plan Green shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Box. (Map 10 above)
- Item 31 And that that part of the same Highway commencing at a stone set up or intended to be set up marked D and extending towards Wilton’s Barn containing in length one hundred links and coloured on the said Plan red shall from time to time and at all times hereafter be repaired by the said Parish of Ditteridge. (Map 10 above)
W Coleman
George Poulett Scrope”
Conclusion
These maps were made a few years before the Tithe Apportionment maps which identified fields by number, ownership and tenancy. As well as explaining the origin of the boundary markers, the 1833 maps give an indication of how locals identified areas in the last years of the Georgian period. Few roads are named or numbered and very few houses are identified (and those few called by the name of the owner).
Cheney Court is known by its earlier name of “China Court”; Ingols is called “Engols” (where one of the few quarries north of the By Brook is marked); and Cuttings Mill appears to be still active also known as “James’s”. Many fields are still identified by husbandry including “Sowlease”, “Cowlease”, “Mutton Leigh”, “Olman’s orchard”, “Six Acres” and “Acre Tyning”. There are only a couple of tollgates listed, including one at Ashley Green.
These maps were made a few years before the Tithe Apportionment maps which identified fields by number, ownership and tenancy. As well as explaining the origin of the boundary markers, the 1833 maps give an indication of how locals identified areas in the last years of the Georgian period. Few roads are named or numbered and very few houses are identified (and those few called by the name of the owner).
Cheney Court is known by its earlier name of “China Court”; Ingols is called “Engols” (where one of the few quarries north of the By Brook is marked); and Cuttings Mill appears to be still active also known as “James’s”. Many fields are still identified by husbandry including “Sowlease”, “Cowlease”, “Mutton Leigh”, “Olman’s orchard”, “Six Acres” and “Acre Tyning”. There are only a couple of tollgates listed, including one at Ashley Green.
References
[1] Wiltshire History Centre, A1/110_H1834
[2] Bullet points, item numbers and map numbers were not in the original but have been added for clarity
[1] Wiltshire History Centre, A1/110_H1834
[2] Bullet points, item numbers and map numbers were not in the original but have been added for clarity