Woodborough’s Heritage

Woodborough, a Sherwood Forest Village, recorded in Domesday

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME WE JONAS BETTISON of Holme Pierrepont in the County of Nottingham Esquire and JOHN BAILEY of the Town of Nottingham Land Surveyor (who have survived John Ince late of Southwell in the said County of Nottingham Gentleman deceased) the Commissioners named and authorised in and by an Act of Parliament passed in the thirty fifth year of the reign of his present Majesty George the Third King of Great Britain and so forth intitled “An Act for dividing allotting and inclosing the open and common fields, commonable lands and waste grounds within the Parish of Woodborough in the County of Nottingham” and also the Chapter of the Collegiate Church of Southwell aforesaid Henry Howson Clerk as Parish Vicar of Southwell aforesaid William Beecher as Prebend of the Prebendary of Woodborough in the said Collegiate Church of Southwell aforesaid (and also lessee for life under the same Prebend (Philip Story Clerk in respect of the estate of the late Elizabeth Bainbrigge, John Taylor Esquire, Samuel Thorpe (who since the passing of the said Act hath purchased estates of Robert Foster Esquire), William Cliff, William Denman, Thomas Donnally, John Harvey, Henry Hollins, Samuel Mitchell (Trustee and Guardian of and on the behalf of John Hopkinson a minor), John Lee, William Raynor, the said William Raynor and Charles Twells as Trustees of Elizabeth Sardison, William Thompson Clerk (Trustee and Guardian of and on the behalf Eleanor Smith Spinster a Minor), Gervas Thorp, John Thorpe.


The Parish Officers of the Woodborough aforesaid for the time being namely Joseph Wylde and John Glover, John Warton and John Wylde proprietors of lands and grounds allotted and hereinafter awarded in Exchange Send Greeting. KNOW YE that we the said Jonas Bettison and John Bailey having (together with the said John Ince deceased) according to the said Act of Parliament held our first meeting and taken and subscribed the oaths prescribed by the said Act which said oaths are hereunto annexed and the said John Bailey having made a survey of all the said open and common fields, commonable lands and waste grounds and of the present inclosed lands within the said Parish of Woodborough and laid the same before us at one or more of our meetings held in pursuance of the said Act and as directed by the said Act and taken and subscribed the oath prescribed and directed by the said Act which oath is hereunto also annexed.


And we the said Commissioners having in all other things acted agreeable to and in pursuance of the said Act and duly examined into and impartially considered of the several matters and things referred to and belonging to us in and by virtue of the said Act of Parliament do make form and draw up this our Award of Instrument in writing as directed by the said Act of in and concerning the premises in manner and form following (that is to say).   


WE find by the said survey and admeasurement that the said lands and grounds to be divided allotted and inclosed by virtue of the said Act contain together in the whole by Statute Measure including roads one thousand two hundred and ninety acres three roods and fifteen perches or thereabouts and that the old or present inclosed lands within the said Parish contain together in the whole by statute measure six hundred and twenty six acres and thirty six perches or thereabouts. And we have caused to maps or plans of the said Parish of Woodborough to be fairly drawn up on vellum which we have signed and in which all the public and private roads and ways and the drains and allotments hereinafter awarded and the old Inclosures are delineated and will appear one of which said maps or plans is hereunto annexed (and is to be taken as part of our Award).


The plan below [not included in the Enclosure document] shows, roads, footpaths and bridleways that were decided upon at the time of Enclosure 220 years ago. The width of each road and the positioning of hedges alongside were also decided at this time. It is stated in the Enclosure document, which follows this page, that Foxwood Lane, Shelt Hill, Lowdham Lane, Lingwood Lane were all to be 40 feet wide and only Bank Hill would be 45 feet wide. The plan below [for illustrative purposes,] shows the position of all roads mentioned in Enclosure.

THE ASSESSMENT OR RATE












£

s.

d.




£

s.

d


Alvey Samuel


1

0



Lees James


4

10


Bainbrigge Elizabeth

8

7

0



Lee John


10

8


Becher Rev'd William


1

7



Mercier Mr (Trustees)



2


Buck Edward


4

5



Raynor William


2

0


Chesterfield Earl of


4

8



Rose Thomas



3


Cliff William


5

6



Sardison Elizabeth (Trustees)


12

6


Denman William


2

0



Smith Eleanor


9

0


Donnelly Thomas


1

0



Southern Samuel


1

11


Thorpe Samuel


18

0



Southwell Parish Vicar of


11

9


Prebendary of Woodbro (or his Lessee)

1

9

8



Taylor John Esq.

3

3

5


Glover Mordecai


3

6



Thorp Gervas


6

1


Harvey John


14

7



Woodborough Parish Officers



11


Hollins Henry


2

0



Worton John


1

0


Hopkinson John


7

0



Thorpe John


1

0


Howe Earl



5



Wyld John


2

11


Hucknall Joseph


5

0



Wyld Joseph



5


Note half pennies have been removed






Total

£19

16

8




Enclosure of Woodborough 1795 - Page 1 of 7 (a modern layout)



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Old road names at Enclosure

Modern road names as per plan

Towne Street (running from Bank Hill to Lowdham Lane

Main Street

Bonor Lane from Bank Lane & Main Street to Calverton

Foxwood Lane

West Fields

Westfields

Bank Hill

Bank Hill

Dark Lane from Main Street to Epperstone

Shelt Hill

Netherfield Lane from Main Street to Lowdham

Lowdham Lane

Stracts Lane from Lowdham Lane to Lambley

Thorpes Road

Church Lane from Main Street to Lambley

Lingwood Lane

Roger Lane to

Roe Hill

Back Lane from Lingwood Lane to Bank Hill

Back Lane [discontinued as a through lane]

Roads: We do set out and appoint and award such public carriage Horse and drift roads and ways as now set out and made in over and through the said lands and grounds to be divided allotted and inclosed as are hereinafter mentioned (that is to say).









Bridle Road: And we do also set out appoint and award one public horse or bridle road of the breadth of twelve feet from the eastward end of the said Town of Woodborough in a southward direction over the said field called Hawley Field to a Lane in the said Parish of Woodborough called Stracts Lane (being the Public Bridle Road from Woodborough to Lambley).


Town Street: And we do award order and direct that part of the Town Street of Woodborough from the Church Yard of Woodborough aforesaid to the west end of the said Town of Woodborough being an old road which we have widened and put into repair shall be and remain of the same width the same now is and forever hereafter kept in repair in the same way the other public roads or highways of the said Parish are by law to be repaired.


Back Lane: And we do award order and direct that the pubic road or way called the Back Lane lying on the southward side of the said Town of Woodborough and running parallel to and not far distant from the said last mentioned road from the south end of the said lane called the Church Lane to the Cross Lane called Southward Bank Lane shall for ever hereafter be stopt up and discontinued as a public or private road or way.


Public Footpaths: And we do hereby award and appoint the following public foot ways over and through the said lands and grounds divided and inclosed (that is to say).

 








One other public foot way from a lane which leads from the top or west end of the Town of Calverton in nearly a straight and southwardly direction over the old coppice and the said Miers Coppice allotted and hereinafter awarded to the said Elizabeth Bainbrigge to the said Parish of Arnold at or near the said place called Dorcott Head and near unto the place where the last mentioned foot way enters the said Parish of Arnold.

Carriage Drift Horse & foot roads or ways: And we do hereby set out and award the following private Carriage Drift Horse and foot roads or ways in over or through the said lands and grounds described by the said Act to be divided allotted and inclosed (that is to say).











And also a private foot road or way branching out of the said public foot way from Woodborough to Calverton over part of the said lands in Shutt Fields allotted and hereinafter awarded to the said Elizabeth Bainbrigge and John Worton unto a messuage and garden belonging to Sarah Gadsby (for the use and occupation of the said messuage and garden of the said Sarah Gadsby and the said lands of the said John Worton).

Fences: AND WE DO hereby award order and direct that all such or so much and such part and parts of the said private carriage horse and drift roads as are fenced out on both sides shall be formed and made and for ever maintained and kept in repair by the owners and proprietors for the time being for ever of the said lands and grounds directed by the said Act to be divided allotted and inclosed and that such or so much and such part and parts of the said private carriage horse and drift roads as lies within or over or upon any allotment or allotments and not ordered to be fenced out on both sides as aforesaid shall be for ever maintained and kept in repair by the respective owners or occupiers for the time being of every such allotment or allotments (within or over or upon which and as far over such allotment and allotments as such roads or ways not fenced out do respectively lie.


Drains: AND WE DO further award order and direct that the respective owners or occupiers for the time being for ever of all and every fences and fence drains and drain now made and hereafter to be made and through which all or any of the said public private and foot ways herein before set out and awarded doth or shall pass or lie shall make and place and for ever maintain and keep in repair good and sufficient planks or foot bridges over and across every such drain and good and sufficient stiles and planks or foot bridges in and across every such fence such stiles not to exceed in height three feet.


And with respect to the draining and carrying the water from off the lands intended by the said to be inclosed we the said Commissioners have caused to be made the following drains or water courses through several parts (that is to say)





AND WE DO order and direct that the said drains or watercourses shall at all times hereafter be well and sufficiently scoured cleansed and kept open and of such respective depths and widths as will be necessary to keep a free current for the water to pass through the same by and at the expense of the several owners or occupiers of the lands wherein such drains are made and by the several owners and occupiers of the lands in equal proportions where such drains or watercourses run between his or her lands respectively and by the surveyors of the highways of Woodborough for the time being where such drains or watercourses run across any of the public highways in Woodborough.


AND WE DO further order and direct that all other ancient watercourses and drains heretofore used through any of the lands so intended to be inclosed as aforesaid and not mentioned in this award shall in like manner be properly cleansed and scoured by the several owners or occupiers of the lands through or to which such watercourses and drains do pass or adjoin. And that the fence ditches of the several allotments of land herein made with sufficient tunnels to be made and kept in gateways shall at all times hereafter at the expense of the person or persons to whom such fence ditches shall belong be well and sufficiently cut opened and scoured so as in no wise to hinder or obstruct the draining of any allotment or allotments of land or ancient Inclosure but that the water may freely pass therefrom into some of the said public drains or watercourses.


And for defraying the expenses of forming and putting into good and sufficient repair such public roads (over and above the statute duty) and for paying the salary and reward of the surveyor appointed by us for that purpose. We have ascertained the following proportions to be paid by each of the owners and proprietors of the lands and grounds intended by the said Act to be inclosed according to their respective rights and Interests therein towards any rate that has been or may hereinafter be wanted for the purposes aforesaid. And we do order that John Morley of Woodborough aforesaid the surveyor appointed by us do collect and receive the same rate or assessment. The table below is part of, and included in, The Enclosure document:-