Brumstead Common

The Domesday survey states that in 1066 Brumstead had woodland for 16 pigs (about 16 acres) plus 8 acres of meadow along with a further 2 acres of meadow belonging to St Benet’s Abbey and in 1281 a reference is made to 8 acres of meadow held by Robert de Tateshall (01 - page 243) An inquisition taken at Diss in 1369 describes a ‘Chace’ belonging to the Manor of Sutton, to wit to take all the geese and animals feeding on the Common at Brumstead once a year and impound them at Sutton, taking for each beast 1d (02 - page 122) plus in 1385 another inquisition taken at Hickling confirms a ‘Cach’ belonging to Sutton, of taking once a year all the animals pasturing on the Common at Brumstead (03 - page 9). A further reference is made to Common pasture in Brumstead in 1654 (04). Church Terriers (description of Church lands) for Brumstead note Common pasture in the West plus North (upon the Glebe Road) in the years 1747, 1763 & 1801 (05). Faden’s map of Norfolk dated 1797 shows the extent of Waste / Common in Brumstead to the north and west (connecting with East Ruston Common) plus south of the Parish.

The Enclosure act of Brumstead in 1805 states that the total area of land exchanged by the Lord of the manor was 15 acres, 1 rod and 14 perches and that this equates to 1/18th of the total area of Commons, Wastes and fens of the Parish. The Enclosure commissioners decreed that William Durrant (the Lord of the manor) shall pay for the enclosure of the reduced Common (now only 13 Acres, 2 Rods, 25 Perches) by ditches and banks which shall be 5 ft wide at the top and 3 ft deep with banks made from the excavated material planted with a white Florn (?) layer and that half hurdles of thorns or other such good material shall be set on the summit, this was to stop wild animals from entering the Common and eating foliage and young shoots. The Common was to be run by the trustees for the poor of the Parish to cut fuel, from copiced trees, and enjoy the right of common pasture with such geese stock and cattle (06) Later Church Terriers for Brumstead note Common pasture in the west plus pasture in the north (upon the Glebe Road) between the years 1806 to 1834 (05) and 150 acres of Marsh of which 12 acres are allotted to the poor is quoted for Brumstead in 1836. The 1837 O.S survey map shows Brumstead Common reduced to its present size so does the Tithe map of 1842 that also describes a group of fields in the north of the Parish as being Allotments (thus showing how far the original Common extended). The large scale O.S map dated 1885 shows areas of the Common as fenced Marsh, Turf ponds and a small wood in the west all enclosed by straight boundary ditches and banks. The wide roads shown on this map leading to the Common indicate that they were originally droves for leading domestic animals to the Common for grazing. The 1905 O.S. map does not show the earlier fenced areas (indicating a decline in pasture usage) but the wood in the west has been extended along the southern boundary and the writer has found an isolated bank and ditch within that may be a possible saw-pit suggesting that the wood was being managed up to recent times.

The Common nowadays contains large areas of copiced Common Alders (which grow well in wet conditions) left to go wild with some young Silver Birch trees between. A survey of the wild flowers was carried out by the writer and most were noted in the ‘open’ areas whereas within the darker woodland areas only Brambles, Ferns and White Campion prevailed. Nettles and Docs were noted along the road plus Common Reed (once used for thatching) in the wetter areas along with Yellow Iris. Large areas of Honeysuckle, Elder flower and Dog Rose were noted plus one small ‘clump’ of Bluebells. Other abundant species included Rosebay Willow Herb, Creeping Buttercups, Cow Parsley, Red Campion, Gorse, Broom, Herb Robert, Common Speedwell, Foxglove and Common Centuary. As bluebells are poisonous to animals the lack of them confirms animal grazing (07 - page 120) and the presence of Stinging nettles along the road indicates past human occupation (07 - page 364). The presence of Hawthorn, Cow parsley and Ragged Robin suggest that the Common could once have been originally ancient woodland plus most ancient woods are normally found along Parish boundaries such as in this case (07 - page 107). However, this evidence is very circumstantial. The general shape of the Common is typically concave and typically along the parish boundary on the poorer ground (07 - page 141). The positions of the noted houses along the edge of the Common indicates ‘Common edge settlement’ where an original ‘nucleated’ village in Saxon / Norman times (probably centered around the Church) slowly drifts away to the edges of the Common during the Medieval period where people could gain full advantage of the grazing rights for their animals. Fieldwalking along the eastern boundary has revealed pottery sherds dating from the 11th century onwards with an increase in the number of sherds found between the 16th to 19th centuries (08 - SMR unknown). Some pot boilers were found indicating the presence of early man plus a late Neolithic/early Bronze age flint scraper has been found (08 - SMR unknown). The present Common is not registered with the Commons registry at Norfolk County Council but is currently managed by Brumstead Parish Council.

Definitions ;

Enclosure initialy was stated to be as a direct result of the Napoleonic wars with France and was indented to replace parts of the old and inefficient small Medieval field system with a larger more productive field system by forced land exchange. Whilst in practice it achieved its aim, large land owners managed to consolidate their estates and farms normally at the expense of the smaller land owners who lost out due to being allocated unsuitable land.

Fieldwalking involves walking over a ploughed field in either a random or ridged way picking up objects of historical interest.

Glebe is land belonging to the Church.

A Pot boiler is a burnt piece of flint or stone of prehistoric date that is thought by most archaeologists to have been used to heat food or water in a pot by dropping it into the ceramic pot after it has first been heated over a fire.

Tithe Map was a map of the parish to determine how much money or produce each farmer / person owed to the church (normally set at a tenth of their income - the word tenth was corrupted to tithe).

Waste land was marsh, Common, scrub, etc,.

References ;

01. The Calendar of Inquisitions post mortem - Vol II : Edward I.

02. Calendar of Inquisitions post mortem - Vol XII : Edward III

03. Calendar of Inquisitions post mortem - Vol XVI : Richard II

04. The Place-Names of Norfolk by Karl Inge Sandred - 1966

05. Terriers for Brumstead held at the Norfolk Record Office.

06. Enclosure Act for Brumstead dated 1805 and held at the Norfolk Records Office (S/Sac 2/56).

07. The History of the Countryside by O.Rackham Phoenix Giant - 1999

08. The Sites and Monuments Records held at Gressenhall, Norfolk.

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