little long close

little long close

A narrow strip of land between a brook and a road

 

Little Long Close was a long, narrow and roughly triangular field that was sandwiched between the Milford Brook and Kiddle's Lane (today's Eastland Road). It was one of the first parts of New Town to be built on.

The 1846 Tithe Apportionment noted that the area of Little Long Close (Parcel 1013) was 1a 3r 30p and it was used as pasture for grazing livestock. It was owned and occupied by Samuel Isaac.

Little Long Close was one of the first parts of New Town to be built on and today it is still completely occupied by the first houses and gardens of Kiddles Lane plus the eastern part of the relatively recent Kiddles housing development occupying the northernmost part.

 

maps


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.

 

This map is based on the 1842 Tithe Map with field names added from the 1846 Tithe Award.

 

Map based on the 1903 Ordnance Survey (turned through 90° with north at left) showing Kiddle's Lane running from Reckleford at right as far as the newly-built Gordon Road at left. The houses and gardens on the west side of Kiddles Lane completely occupy the earlier Little Long Close.

 

The 1842 Tithe Map superimposed (roughly) over a modern street map showing where several modern roads, for example Gordon Road, Grass Royal and Highfield Road, follow former field boundaries.

 

gallery

 

In the top half of the photo, Kiddles Lane (today's Eastland Road) runs left of the chimney with fields either side!!! Behind the chimney is Mount Pleasant and the dark hedgerow in front of the houses marks the site of the rope walk that extended to the trees at right.

This photograph dates to about 1900 and shows, at centre, the chimney of the Eastland Road brickworks with its associated buildings clustered around its base. To its left is the leather works built by William Bide (recogniseable by the double roof with a row of six black windows). Running along the bottom of the photograph is Station Road with the Alexandra Hotel at bottom right.

 

The early housing of Kiddle's Lane, now Eastland Road, including Wayside Terrace right of centre - all built on Little Long Close. Photographed in 2013.