The First Battle of Kingsdown Common
The Dispute Started a Century Ago
between Residents and the Lord of the Manor
Reprinted from Local Newspaper Article
Left: Mares and Foals in a Landscape by George Stubbs
The Dispute Started a Century Ago
between Residents and the Lord of the Manor
Reprinted from Local Newspaper Article
Left: Mares and Foals in a Landscape by George Stubbs
A reader has brought to our attention that the dispute over commons rights at Kingsdown started much earlier than given in our article Kingsdown Common in Issue 2. It started in the first days of the newly formed Box Parish Council in 1895. It was a battle between the authority of the Lord of the Manor of Box and the duties newly imposed on the council representing residents of the parish. The battle was at times strongly worded as these extracts of a newspaper articles show.
Creation of Box Parish Council
The matter was raised at the second meeting of the council, in February 1895, and recurs subsequently very frequently. Mr J Hardy brought the matter forward under an item: To enquire into the state of the commons, and the right of cutting turf, removing earth etc......
It was decided to write to GP Fuller (of Neston Park) asking if he would kindly favour the council with his opinion on the rights relating to the downs, commons and village greens etc. ... It appeared there were no records of the Manor of Box (at the offices of the Board of Agriculture in London), so he was unable to ascertain any information.
The next reference is on March 22nd 1899, when Mr T Bull moved that the clerk write to the Board of Agriculture and get information as to the turf cutting rights in the parish after he had called attention to the cutting of turf on Kingsdown.
The matter was raised at the second meeting of the council, in February 1895, and recurs subsequently very frequently. Mr J Hardy brought the matter forward under an item: To enquire into the state of the commons, and the right of cutting turf, removing earth etc......
It was decided to write to GP Fuller (of Neston Park) asking if he would kindly favour the council with his opinion on the rights relating to the downs, commons and village greens etc. ... It appeared there were no records of the Manor of Box (at the offices of the Board of Agriculture in London), so he was unable to ascertain any information.
The next reference is on March 22nd 1899, when Mr T Bull moved that the clerk write to the Board of Agriculture and get information as to the turf cutting rights in the parish after he had called attention to the cutting of turf on Kingsdown.
Box Council
Complains
In July 1912, a dispute starts with Kingsdown Golf Club following complaints to the council regarding the erection of obstructions at Kingsdown. The secretary to the golf club writes: I have your letter stating that the Box Parish Council ... request the club to remove the posts which mark the greens for the guidance of players and to discontinue mowing the greens... The council is misinformed as to the facts. The club has erected no palings, hurdles, wires or other fences or enclosures of any sort whatsoever, while solitary posts at intervals of 200 to 400 yards apart cannot be deemed to restrict access.
As to pasturage, the sheep have unrestricted access to all parts of the down, and so far from the mowing being detrimental to the feed, the fine grasses which the club cultivates on the greens are more appreciated by the sheep than the rest of the herbage.....
In July 1912, a dispute starts with Kingsdown Golf Club following complaints to the council regarding the erection of obstructions at Kingsdown. The secretary to the golf club writes: I have your letter stating that the Box Parish Council ... request the club to remove the posts which mark the greens for the guidance of players and to discontinue mowing the greens... The council is misinformed as to the facts. The club has erected no palings, hurdles, wires or other fences or enclosures of any sort whatsoever, while solitary posts at intervals of 200 to 400 yards apart cannot be deemed to restrict access.
As to pasturage, the sheep have unrestricted access to all parts of the down, and so far from the mowing being detrimental to the feed, the fine grasses which the club cultivates on the greens are more appreciated by the sheep than the rest of the herbage.....
17th and 23rd Lancers by David Wilkinson
Mr Northey and Somerset Light Infantry Get Involved
At this time objections regarding the obstructions on Kingsdown were addressed to the officer commanding the special reserve of the Somerset Light Infantry, who wrote in reply he feared the objection would prevent the special reserve visiting Box again.
These complaints brought to the council a rather strong letter from the agents to the Northey Estate...... In order that unnecessary and futile correspondence may not take place, I shall be obliged by your showing me some authority for the parish council assumption that they as a council are concerned in this matter, because it is obvious that if the council have no legal status it is useless for Mr Northey to deal with them at all.
Mr Northey ... denies the statements contained in your letters, and is at a loss to understand what right the council have at all to inter-meddle in the matter. Mr Northey at the same time reserves to himself the right to take any legal or other steps ... to protect his interests, and to claim compensation ... he may now or in the future suffer through the actions of the council.....
The council ordered this reply to be sent: I am directed to say that the council cannot agree to Mr Northey's contention that he is the person solely concerned with the state of Kingsdown....
A long, and at times strongly worded, letter came from the golf club: Had the council been better informed, they would have not been led into attacking a popular game on grounds that had no foundation in fact.... This letter brought hint of strong measures from the council ... The golf club ... must be prepared to see the parishioners asserting their rights on Kingsdown.
At this time objections regarding the obstructions on Kingsdown were addressed to the officer commanding the special reserve of the Somerset Light Infantry, who wrote in reply he feared the objection would prevent the special reserve visiting Box again.
These complaints brought to the council a rather strong letter from the agents to the Northey Estate...... In order that unnecessary and futile correspondence may not take place, I shall be obliged by your showing me some authority for the parish council assumption that they as a council are concerned in this matter, because it is obvious that if the council have no legal status it is useless for Mr Northey to deal with them at all.
Mr Northey ... denies the statements contained in your letters, and is at a loss to understand what right the council have at all to inter-meddle in the matter. Mr Northey at the same time reserves to himself the right to take any legal or other steps ... to protect his interests, and to claim compensation ... he may now or in the future suffer through the actions of the council.....
The council ordered this reply to be sent: I am directed to say that the council cannot agree to Mr Northey's contention that he is the person solely concerned with the state of Kingsdown....
A long, and at times strongly worded, letter came from the golf club: Had the council been better informed, they would have not been led into attacking a popular game on grounds that had no foundation in fact.... This letter brought hint of strong measures from the council ... The golf club ... must be prepared to see the parishioners asserting their rights on Kingsdown.
Golfers by Charles Lee 1847
Uses of the Land
The question of the military use of Kingsdown again cropped up in April 1913 when ... it was reported that the 6th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment were coming to camp on Kingsdown....
While the council had no objection to the camp being set up, it considered that the parish had rights on the down, and ... should have been consulted. This brought a reply from the agents to the lord of the manor: I am informed that the parish council have again taken it upon themselves to intermeddle in the proposed grant by Mr Northey to the Sixth Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment of the right to encamp on Kingsdown at Whitsuntide.
Next mention of the matter is in July 1915 ... to discuss a proposal for the granting of a lease of the course to the golf club by Mr Northey.... In July 1920, a member reported that the golf club wished to enclose the greens on Kingsdown ... on payment of £10 a year. Resolved: that the council is dead against enclosure...
The question of the military use of Kingsdown again cropped up in April 1913 when ... it was reported that the 6th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment were coming to camp on Kingsdown....
While the council had no objection to the camp being set up, it considered that the parish had rights on the down, and ... should have been consulted. This brought a reply from the agents to the lord of the manor: I am informed that the parish council have again taken it upon themselves to intermeddle in the proposed grant by Mr Northey to the Sixth Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment of the right to encamp on Kingsdown at Whitsuntide.
Next mention of the matter is in July 1915 ... to discuss a proposal for the granting of a lease of the course to the golf club by Mr Northey.... In July 1920, a member reported that the golf club wished to enclose the greens on Kingsdown ... on payment of £10 a year. Resolved: that the council is dead against enclosure...
Golfer Resting by Kyffin Williams
No Riding on Greens
A resolution was passed in August 1928: This council protests against any enclosure or planting of trees in any portion of common land in the parish... It was also decided that a notice be sent to the golf club, asking for removal of all notice boards and posts which had been put up at Kingsdown...
The reply from the golf club read: Your council are wrongly informed as to the wording of notice boards at Kingsdown. The wording reads: 'Riders are asked kindly not to ride on the greens'
Later, the rural district council was asked to take action regarding the notice boards. Their reply was that they did not consider action called for, adding: The position of the inhabitants of the parish over the common is not entirely clear.
A resolution was passed in August 1928: This council protests against any enclosure or planting of trees in any portion of common land in the parish... It was also decided that a notice be sent to the golf club, asking for removal of all notice boards and posts which had been put up at Kingsdown...
The reply from the golf club read: Your council are wrongly informed as to the wording of notice boards at Kingsdown. The wording reads: 'Riders are asked kindly not to ride on the greens'
Later, the rural district council was asked to take action regarding the notice boards. Their reply was that they did not consider action called for, adding: The position of the inhabitants of the parish over the common is not entirely clear.