Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Against the River

An ancient meadow alongside the River Yeo

 

Against the River (Parcel 887) was originally a field in the great Medieval East Field of the Manor of Kingston, beside the River Yeo and nearly opposite Compton Mill (slightly to the south and on the other bank of the River Yeo, in Dorset).

Although Against the River appears on the 1842 Tithe Map, unfortunately the copy of the 1846 Tithe Apportionment in the Heritage Centre at Taunton omitted it, so the ownership, usage and size are unknown from that source, however a different source gives the size as 4a 3r 0p. It was almost certainly a meadow and used for growing hay.

Against the River was bounded on the east by the River Yeo, to the north by Compton Mill Mead (Parcel 888), to the south by Weir Mead (Parcel 885) and to the west by Great Ground (Parcel 911).

By the time of the 1946 aerial photograph seen below, Against the River remained as an open field, although it was largely bisected by the railway in the 1850s. Today Against the River forms part of Yeovil Country Park.

For details on historic land measurement (ie acres, roods and perches) click here.

 

This map, based on the descriptions in the 1589 Terrier and the 1846 Tithe Map of Yeovil shows the approximate boundaries of the Manors of Kingston and Hendford as well as the manorial three-field system used in Kingston.

 

A map of the great Medieval East Field of Kingston Manor showing conjectured locations of several fields based on descriptions in the 1589 Terrier.

 

Drawn from the 1846 Tithe Map with field names added from the 1846 Tithe Apportionment, with Against the River at the bottom right.

 

The 1946 aerial survey photograph with parcel numbers of 1846 plotted on. The green line is the county boundary running along the River Yeo. The railway bisects Against the River.

 

The 1843 Tithe Map overlaid onto a modern map of the area. The course of the Yeo just above the north point appears to have changed course somewhat.