East Swincombe

East Swincombe

A field within the great manorial East Field

 

East Swincombe (Parcel 940), was originally a large field in the great Medieval East Field of Kingston Manor. According to the Somerset Historic Environment Record (54786), prehistoric flint finds and a polished stone axe were found in this field.

In the 1548 Return of Chantries was recorded "John Dowrede holds 8 acres of land and pasture lying in Swyncombe within the manor of Kingeston and renders per annum 16d."

In his will dated 1581, John Phelps wrote "... Item I geve and bequeathe unto my secounde sonne William half my grounde at Swyncombe ...  Item I geve and bequeathe unto my thirde sonne John thelder the other moyte of my ground at Swyncombe ...".

The 1846 Tithe Apportionment noted that East Swincombe was in the ownership of Henry Goodford Esq. of Chilton Cantello and occupied by Mrs Phillis Coles, as part of Stone Farm at this time. The Tithe Apportionment shows East Swincombe was used as pasture for grazing livestock and measured 11a 0r 30p.

East Swincombe was bounded on the south by Mudford Road, on the west by West Swincombe (Parcel 943), on the west by Mudford Parish and to the north by Waindle Wood Plantation (Parcel 942).

By the time of the 1946 aerial photograph, seen below, East Swincombe was still an open field although a large section had been built on with a private house and garden on its southern edge. Today, more houses and gardens along Mudford Road have been built on the southwestern part.

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

 

maps


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.

 

This map, based on the Yeovil Tithe Map of 1842 and the Preston Plucknett Tithe Map of 1849, shows in yellow the parcels of land of Stone Farm that were technically in the Parish of Preston Plucknett and in pink are the parcels that were technically in the Parish of Yeovil.

 

Drawn from the 1846 Tithe Map with field names added from the 1846 Tithe Apportionment, with East Swincombe (Parcel 940) at top centre.

 

The 1946 aerial survey photograph with parcel numbers of 1846 plotted on.

 

An aerial view (courtesy of Mr Google) of the area today.

 

The 1843 Tithe Map overlaid onto a modern map of the area.