Yeovil's Virtual Museum

On Down

A field within the great manorial East Field

 

On Down (Parcels 912 and 912a), was originally a field in the great Medieval East Field.

By the time of the 1842 Tithe Map, On Down had been split into two parcels. Unfortunately the 1846 Tithe Apportionment omitted On Down (Parcel 912a), so its ownership, usage and size (I'm guessing around two acres) are unknown. On Down (Parcel 912) however, was shown to be owned by John Tanner Whiteley Pitcher and let to John Green. It was used as arable for growing crops and measured 2a 3r 0p.

On Down was bounded on the north by Hanging Ground (Parcel 909), on the west by Peckford's Close (Parcel 921), on the south by Kiln (Parcel 913) and to the east it was bounded by Eight Acres (Parcel 910).

By the time of the 1946 aerial photograph seen below, On Down was still an open field.

Today, the former On Down is occupied by the northern end of Oxford Road and the Oxford Road Trading Estate.

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 Hanging Ground (Parcel 909) at the top.

 

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 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.

 

 

Looking east along the northern spur of Oxford Road.