A 160 years of change - 1.
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Now that I am in
possession of some 160 year old ordinance survey maps I thought it would be a
good idea to produce maps of the same approximate areas so that you can note
the changes. As I have said before people change far more often compared with
the topography of an area. Place names change over time due to spelling of the
day being more phonetic. The area I have chosen to start with is a portion west
of Cliveden Reach and going as far as Widbrook Common east. The names of the
field areas that I have named on the photo map are those given on the White
Place Farm map 60 years ago.
You will also notice
that the area I have name Tumulus you will note that it was named Bartle Meade,
This we are told in history is where a battle was fought during the Danish
incursion into England. There was up until the early 1950’s two low Tumulus mounds
in what was then permanent pasture. These were flattened when the field system
was enlarged to what we have today Of course the area known today as Battle
Meade has been reduced to a small area south of Widbrook Park, previously known
as “The Islet.”
The word Southey,
depicted on the photo map as Upper and Lower covered you will find, a greater
area back in 1852 back into what is now known as Maidenhead Court and the
Sheephouse Farm.
Two other fields on the
photo map called Upper & Lower Gardeners were made up from the two Southey
fields by the first Lord Astor as summer grazing for his stud brood mares, as
were two fields just south of Moor Hall. So these changes took place in the
early 1900’s. These particular fields have been covered in a previous page of
this blog.
The same area in 2012.
Click on the pictures to enlarge them to full screen.
