Enclosures Act.

[borderterribles]

I was wondering today, whilst thrashing seven shades out of big thorn hedge, (which shows no signs of ever having been cut or laid before), about the Enclosures Act, and the work that it's passing brought about. Who paid for the work, who did the work, where did they find sufficient hedge planting materials? Who decided how big the fields were to be, and where the hedges went? Any ideas, anyone?

 

[Steevo]

I was wondering today, whilst thrashing seven shades out of big thorn hedge, (which shows no signs of ever having been cut or laid before), about the Enclosures Act, and the work that it's passing brought about. Who paid for the work, who did the work, where did they find sufficient hedge planting materials? Who decided how big the fields were to be, and where the hedges went? Any ideas, anyone?

If only they could see us now with our hedgecutting dates, slurry spreading dates, assurance inspectors etc.

 

[Lincsman]

https://www4.uwsp.edu/english/rsirabia/notes/212/enclosureacts.pdf

A lot of people were not happy and workers were forced into industry, which drove the industrial revolution on faster.

Hedges were cheap to grow, get bucketfuls of hawthorn berries, plant in a row and when they are a year old plant a hedge that I am still having to look after 200 years later.

 

[renewablejohn]

All the stone walls of our village enclosure had to be built within 2 years. Cannot believe the miles of stone walls constructed the majority of which are still standing 200 years later.

 

[Osca]

I think they used quickset hedging, too - lengths of green stick pushed into the earth to sprout, as you would with willow. Hawthorn and hazel can be grown like this, apparently. Was thinking of trying it with my own new hedge but have gone for bare root instead, just in case it was one of those things that wouldn't work fo me, despite what the books say ought to happen.

 

[Pond digger]

I think they used quickset hedging, too - lengths of green stick pushed into the earth to sprout, as you would with willow. Hawthorn and hazel can be grown like this, apparently. Was thinking of trying it with my own new hedge but have gone for bare root instead, just in case it was one of those things that wouldn't work fo me, despite what the books say ought to happen.

I don't think that would work at all.

 

[7610 super q]

Were the hedges necessarily planted, or was it natural growth ?

 

[JCMaloney]

More here: http://www.thelandmagazine.org.uk/articles/short-history-enclosure-britain

We`ve been putting hedges in (and removing them!) since the Iron Age when folk started clearing woodland and became "settled farmers".
Always interesting tracing old trackways, parish boundaries etc which can be obvious by the age of the hedge even if access has changed.

 

[Lincsman]

Were the hedges necessarily planted, or was it natural growth ?

If its all hawthorn it was planted, if there are maple, oak and other things and not straight it could have been the edge of old woodland.

 

[Clayfarmer]

Each parish Enclosure Award had an act of parliament, Enclosure Commissioners were appointed to survey the land and take evidence from the affected persons. Everyone who had title to land was given consolidated blocks of land of equal value to their original holdings. Prior to this each farmer worked approx 30 -50 one acre strips scattered all over the parish. If they held common rights, they were granted a free hold plot of equivalent value to their common rights, though unfortunately this would be of smaller area as freehold was obviously more valuable.

The commissioners ordered that the plots be fenced and hedged, usually with hawthorn and ditched by a certain date which was expensive, apparently often too expensive for the small land owner.

There were ad hoc private enclosures where individuals would swap land between themselves. If they fenced their land and no one objected, then after a few years it dropped out of the open field system. This wasn't restricted just to the main enclosure era though.

The granting of the award initially generated a lot of work in hedging and building and establishing new farmsteads out of the village centre. But a lot of small holders simply sold up. Also spinning was an important second income for many and this was being decimated by the factory system at the same time as the enclosures.

 

[Pond digger]

If its all hawthorn it was planted, if there are maple, oak and other things and not straight it could have been the edge of old woodland.

It's been suggested that a hedge can be dated by the number of woody species it contains- one for every hundred yrs, e.g. 5 species= 500 yrs. whilst there's some logic to this, I don't think it's a reliable rule.

 

[Forever Fendt]

No field history like that around here it was all opencast in the 50s and 60s so all straight field boundaries with a hedge and ditch no natural drainage and all land drains had it due to settlement

 

[Lincsman]

It's been suggested that a hedge can be dated by the number of woody species it contains- one for every hundred yrs, e.g. 5 species= 500 yrs. whilst there's some logic to this, I don't think it's a reliable rule.

That used to be true, but new hedges are now planted with many species, so in 40 years time you wouldnt know if its 40 years or 600 years!

 

[bobk]

All the stone walls of our village enclosure had to be built within 2 years. Cannot believe the miles of stone walls constructed the majority of which are still standing 200 years later.

You wouldn't get planning nowadays

 

[MickMoor]

Our village is unusual in that the farmers bought out the Lord of the manner before the enclosure acts. The walls were often built where it was handy if there is no natural boundary. When I used to do a bit of ploughing, I found that the smaller the field, the more stone I brought up. In some parts, the walls were built by prisoners of war from Napoleon's army. I love telling French people that the walls were built by their countrymen, you see them swell up with pride, then you say why they were here.

 

[Red Fred]

Our estate were considered to have done some underhand dealing at the time of the enclosures and deliberately forced out the poorer tenants from the common fields so as to increase the rents coming in. As a result, the big house became a prime target during the Swing Riots of 1830, when bands of dispossessed labourers roamed the Southern counties burning ricks and threshing machines.
The mob marched on the manor house to burn it down, having burnt one of the nearby mills, and were met by the local Volunteer Militia, who had been hastily reformed, and had marched out of town to meet them on the highway near our house. I believe the leader of the rioters was shot dead and the rest were arrested or fled.

 

[Osca]

I think they used quickset hedging, too - lengths of green stick pushed into the earth to sprout, as you would with willow. Hawthorn and hazel can be grown like this, apparently. Was thinking of trying it with my own new hedge but have gone for bare root instead, just in case it was one of those things that wouldn't work fo me, despite what the books say ought to happen.

I don't think that would work at all.

I shall have to try it. Looking for information on it, I just read in Wiki that hedges were actually cleared to make way for the feudal open-plan fields. So ripping out hedges in the 60s was actually only repeating what went before. I never knew that.

 

[Exfarmer]

I shall have to try it. Looking for information on it, I just read in Wiki that hedges were actually cleared to make way for the feudal open-plan fields. So ripping out hedges in the 60s was actually only repeating what went before. I never knew that.

Never trust Wiki. It is most unlikely that hedges were used except as parish boundaries and for defensive purposes.

 

[Old Boar]

Hazel wands root easily. This is why I have a hedge where I planted the peas, using hazel and laburnum rods for the peas to grow up. Laburnum roots very easily, but dont plant it in a hedge as it is the worst thing for blunting a blade. Whole hedges of it here, apparently from when someone went round selling fencing stakes.

 

[Dry Rot]

I shall have to try it. Looking for information on it, I just read in Wiki that hedges were actually cleared to make way for the feudal open-plan fields. So ripping out hedges in the 60s was actually only repeating what went before. I never knew that.

Cuttings will work if you use rooting compound -- available from your friendly local nursery/garden centre.

Hazel twigs left standing in a jar of water will start to grow roots.