History of the Fields

The Fields of Bear Mead, and those surrounding, as they were in the early 1800's and at the start of the 21st Century. The History of the A31 road. Chaw Meadow in 1786. Corfe Mullen in 1809.

Aerial map dated 2000

Corfe Mullen Inclosure Map 1813. Modern hedgerows shown in red. The Puddletown and Wimborne Trust Turnpike (later A31) in red dots Note how, about 1847, Candy's Lane near Field 86 was moved slightly South to leave enough room for the railway line plus embankment.

O.S. map surveyed before 1888. Single-track railway (1847) runs tight between turnpike (1840) and Brog St.

Flood plains prone to flooding around Bear Mead. Up to 800 metres South and 1000 metres North of river. Several islands stand above likely flooding North of the river, but none in South up to A31 Scale 15,000:1. Dark blue: 1 in 100 chance of flooding each year. Light blue: 1 in 1,000 chance. The turnpike/A31 has never been seen to flood 2002-present

p147 "The Old Roads of Dorset" by Ronald Good, 1966 edition The Puddletown and Wimborne Trust This Trust, set up by Act of 1840 (3,4 Vict c xxiii) was the last of the ordinary Dorset trusts but one of the most important and interesting Important because it led indiectly to many far reaching changes in the road pattern of the part of the country it concerned; and intersting because, thanks to the existence of clear and detailed plans it is possible to see just what changes were intended and how they were made. .... it resulted in considerable loss to its chief promotor, the then owner of Charborough and Member of Parliament for Wareham, Mr John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge Erle-Drax. This was because it came too late, for within less than seven years of its completion the railway from Wimborne to Dorchester through Wareham had taken away much of its purpose. The founding Act lists the roads to be covered as follows: (1) From Wimborne to join the Blandford and Poole turnpike at Corfe Mullen. This is the road from Wimborne over Julian's Bridge to the church at Corfe Mullen. On the town side of the bridge the road took a new line slightly south of the old: west of the bridge, as far as the turning to Lake Farm it was a new version of an old road called Netherwood Lane, which had already been widened some thirty years before; and the mile and a half west again was a new road. A remarkable feature of the plans for this turnpike is that they include the road from Newton Marsh (Stag Gate) through Sturminster Marshall to White mill Bridge and thence all the way by the Cowgrove road to Wimborne. This was not in the end included in the Act but the straightness of the road between Stag Gate and Sturminster Marshall may date from this time. In 1847-8 the Trust had 24 miles of road, and there were five toll-gates. These were at Lake, near Corfe Mullen, where the road passed into the Blandford and Poole Trust.....

Info collected from Dorset Records Office 27 Nov 02 about Bear Mead and Corfe Mead land North of the River Stour, Tithe Map 1847 No Landowner Occupier Name Cultvtn A--R--P 2378 George BANKES Charles John LOUCH High Meadow Pasture 18-2-37 2380 George BANKES William JACKSON Island Pasture 00-1-00 2381 George BANKES William JACKSON Island Pasture 00-3-06 2395 John RAINDLE Himself Chard Mead Pasture 07-3-36 2398 William MACKRELL James TOREY Mitchell Meadow Pasture 02-2-35 2399 Henry HILL John RAINDLE Mitchell Meadows Pasture 05-0-17 2400 Matthew RAINDLE Himself Mitchell Meadows Pasture 05-2-32 2401 George CLAPCOTT John FRAMPTON Mitchell Meadows Pasture 03-1-26 South of the River Stour, Tithe Map 1840 No Landowner Occupier Name Cultvtn A--R--P 431 George HATCHARD Himself Bear Mead Meadow 00-0-24 432 Matthew RANDALL Himself Barn Mead Meadow 01-2-04 433 John RANDALL Himself Bear Mead Meadow 01-2-04 434 William BOUND Himself Corfe Mead Meadow 00-2-13 435 William CASTLEMAN Thomas MARTIN Bear Mead Meadow 01-2-00 436 William CASTLEMAN Thomas MARTIN Bear Mead Meadow 01-2-11 437 John CARLTON Himself Bear Mead Meadow 02-1-23 438 Wm Jn BANKES esq Wm HART Geo TOPP Bear Mead Meadow 06-1-18 439 Charles BANTING Samuel EATON Corfe Mead Meadow 00-2-13 440 Augustus KEMP esq Thomas MARTIN Corfe Mead Meadow 02-2-08 441 Wm BEAMINSTER Henry JENKINS Corfe Mead Meadow 00-3-33 "part of Field 5" 442 Jn Willett WILLETT esq William BOUND Corfe Mead Meadow 12-2-11 443 George WESTON Ann WAREHAM Corfe Mead Meadow 05-2-01 "part of Field 5" 444 Fred COVENTRY esq George SHINER Corfe Mead Meadow 02-0-00 444a Fred COVENTRY esq William BOUND Corfe Mead Meadow 01-0-32 444b Fred COVENTRY esq William BOUND Corfe Mead Meadow 01-1-10 444c Fred COVENTRY esq William HARRIS Corfe Mead Meadow 02-1-02 445 Fred COVENTRY esq William HOLLOWAY Corfe Mead Meadow 02-2-13 445a Eleanor BARFOOT Herself Corfe Mead Meadow 00-1-00 445b Jn Willett WILLETT esq Eleanor BARFOOT Corfe Mead Meadow 00-1-09 445c Jn Willett WILLETT esq Eleanor BARFOOT Corfe Mead Meadow 01-3-28 446 George HATCHARD Robert SHOREY Corfe Mead Meadow 00-2-39 447 Rev Edward BRETT Robert SHOREY Corfe Mead Meadow 01-0-11 448 Chris WARLANDS George BROWN Corfe Mead Meadow 05-2-36 448a Jn Willett WILLETT esq George BROWN Corfe Mead Meadow 02-1-06 449 Ed,Hy+Chas CASTLEMAN Henry JENKINS Corfe Mead Meadow 02-3-30 450 Augustus KEMP Himself Corfe Mead Meadow 00-0-39 451 Fred COVENTRY esq George SHINER Corfe Mead Meadow 00-0-33 452 Henry BARTLETT Samuel EATON Corfe Mead Meadow 07-2-22 453 Jn Willett WILLETT esq Joseph KNIGHT Corfe Mead Meadow 00-0-37 454 Hubert ROBBINS Joseph KNIGHT Corfe Mead Meadow 00-1-21 454a Rev Edward BRETT Joseph KNIGHT Corfe Mead Meadow 03-3-27 455 Rev James MAYO Matthew JENKINS Corfe Mead Meadow 02-1-31 456 Fred COVENTRY esq Isaac LAWS Corfe Mead Meadow 01-0-22 456a Jn Willett WILLETT esq Isaac LAWS Corfe Mead Meadow 00-1-14 457 Rev James MAYO Matthew JENKINS Corfe Mead Meadow 02-0-07 458 William HARRIS Matthew JENKINS Corfe Mead Meadow 00-2-33 458a Fred COVENTRY esq James LITTLE Corfe Mead Meadow 00-1-26 467 Fred COVENTRY esq William BOUND Great Wood East Meadow 34-0-37 Tithe Awards 1813 Unto and for the said John Willett WILLETT as Lord of the Manor of Corfe Moleyn Saint Nicholas and George WESTON his Lessee All that parcel of Land No 443 containing five acres two roods and one perch bounded on the East by the Allotment No 442 South East by the Allotment No 444 South West and part of the North West by the said Road marked D and the Allotment No 441 and remaining part of the North West by the Allotment No 440 The Fences for enclosing the said Allotment No 443 on the South East and West sides I award and declare shall be made and for ever hereafter kept in repair by and at the expence of the said George WESTON and the future owners of the said Allotment for the time being.

Conversion of Old to Modern fields, with area A--R--P F#1 F#2 F#3 F#4 F#5 DL F#6 438 437 434 440 443 442 444 445c 436 433 439 441 444a 446 435 432 445 447 431 445a 448 445b 448a 449 6-1-18 2-1-23 0-2-13 2-2-08 5-2-01 12-2-11 2-0-00 1-3-28 1-2-11 1-2-04 0-2-13 0-3-33 1-0-32 0-2-39 1-2-00 1-2-04 2-2-13 1-0-11 0-0-24 0-1-00 5-2-36 0-1-09 2-1-06 2-3-30 6-1-18 5-1-34 3-3-05 3-0-21 6-1-35 12-2-11 6-1-13 13-3-30

Chaw Meadow

(Report from the Salisbury & Winchester Journal, May 1786) [Chaw Meadow lies directly across the river from Bear Mead. Hain = to save, preserve, to spare (Scottish). To inclose for mowing; to set aside for grass. Haining = an enclosure (Old Norse)] WIMBORNE INCLOSURE THE Commissioners hereby give notice, that they propose to order the haining, cutting, and stocking of the several Parcels of Land which are intended to lie in common in the undermentioned meadows as follows: The said Lands in Chaw Meadow, New Line, Briming Meadow, and Small Meadow, to be laid up or hained on the 12th of February in every year; to be cut on or before the 25th of July; to be stocked in common on the 12th of August, an so to continue until the 12th of February following: And the said lands in Mitchel Meadow to be hained on the 20th of March in every year; to be cut on or before the 1st of August; to be stocked in common on the 1st of September, and so to continue until the 20th of March following. And the said Commissioners further give notice, that they propose to regulate the manner of stocking the said Lands in the above mentioned Meadows as follows: That each proprietor shall stock one horse, two cows, or three yearlings in respect of every acre of his lands lying in common; and in that proportion, or as near it as may be, for any quantity more or less than an acre. Such persons as shall have any thing to object to all or any of the above orders and regulations, are desired to attend the Commissioners at their next meeting, which will be held at the New Inn, in Wimborne Minster, on the 8th of June next, and to make their objections thereto. WM. DEAN, Clerk to the Commissioners. (Set aside for grass) (1 horse/2cows/3 yearlings per acre) ------|---------Hained--------------|Cut|------------Stocked-------------------| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb |

Corfe Meadow

The Salisbury and Winchester Journal and General Advertiser of Wilts, Hants, Dorset, and Somerset Date of Article: 26/12/1808 CORFE MULLEN INCLOSURE, I GIVE Notice, That all Rights of Common Pasture in Corfe Meadow and the other Commonable Meadows in the parish of Corfe Mullen shall, from and after the 31st day of December next, be totally extinguished ; and all parties interested are required, before that day, to remove their Cattle from the said Meadows. Witness my Hand, December 17, 1809. JOHN WICK. ENS.

Compiled, hand coded and copyright © 2013, John Palmer, All Rights Reserved.