Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Compton Mill Mead

An ancient meadow alongside the River Yeo

 

Compton Mill Mead (Parcel 888) was originally a field in the great Medieval East Field of the Manor of Kingston, beside the River Yeo and nearly opposite Compton Mill (slightly to the south and on the other bank of the River Yeo, in Dorset). The word 'mead' comes from the Old English 'maed'. Before grass seeds were obtainable this was the only hay land of the community. It usually consisted of land near streams since that was the only kind of land on which hay grew in any quantity.

In his will dated 1728, John Clarke wrote "Item I give unto George Prowse [his son in law] and to Eleanor my daughter my little meadow called Compton Mill."

In her will of 1754, spinster Anne Markes in referring to her land holdings, wrote "... four Acres of Meadow or Pasture lying at or near Compton Mill... ".

Although Compton Mill Mead appears on the 1842 Tithe Map, unfortunately the copy of the 1846 Tithe Apportionment in the Heritage Centre at Taunton omitted it, so the ownership, usage and size are unknown from that source. It was almost certainly a meadow and used for growing hay.

Compton Mill Mead was bounded on the east by the River Yeo, to the north by Marke's Mead (Parcel 890), to the south by Against the River (Parcel 887) and to the west by Great Ground (Parcel 911).

By the time of the 1946 aerial photograph seen below, Compton Mill Mead remained as an open field, although much of its eastern side was lost to the railway in the 1850s. Today Compton Mill Mead forms part of Yeovil Country Park.

For details on historic land measurement (ie acres, roods and perches) click here.

 

This map, based on the descriptions in the 1589 Terrier and the 1846 Tithe Map of Yeovil shows the approximate boundaries of the Manors of Kingston and Hendford as well as the manorial three-field system used in Kingston.

 

A map of the great Medieval East Field of Kingston Manor showing conjectured locations of several fields based on descriptions in the 1589 Terrier.

 

Drawn from the 1846 Tithe Map with field names added from the 1846 Tithe Apportionment, with Compton Mill Mead in the lower right quadrant. (Parcel 889) at centre right.

 

The 1946 aerial survey photograph with parcel numbers of 1846 plotted on. The green line is the county boundary running along the River Yeo. The railway bisects Compton Mill Mead (yes I know I inadvertently wrote Compton Hill Mead).

 

The 1843 Tithe Map overlaid onto a modern map of the area. The course of the Yeo just above the north point appears to have changed course somewhat.