Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Seven & Eight Acres

A part of Preston Lower farm

 

Seven & Eight Acres (Parcel 139) was a large field of Preston Lower Farm - the name originating from the combining of two smaller fields, even though the name was short by three acres. The 1848 Preston Tithe Apportionment described Seven & Eight Acres as arable for growing crops and noted that it measured 12a 2r 5p. The Apportionment recorded that Seven & Eight Acres was owned by Robert Tucker and occupied by Joseph Roberts.

John Brook the Younger became the tenant farmer, replacing Joseph Roberts, in 1857. He was the tenant farmer until his retirement around 1878.

All eight fields of Lower Farm whose names suggested an acreage such as Three Acre Mead, Four Acres, etc., were actually less than their names would suggest. However this is due to the use of 'Statute' measurements in the Apportionment which were actually smaller that 'Customary' measurements.

Seven & Eight Acres was bounded on the north by Preston Lane (today's Preston Road), on the west by Cow Leaze (Parcel 134), to the south by Second Close (Parcel 137) and Four Acres (Parcel 138) and to the east by a small brook.

As seen from the 1889 Ordnance Survey map below, Seven & Eight Acres was still an open field and the 1927 aerial photograph shows that it remained open until this time. By 1946 the aerial photograph shows that the former Seven & Eight Acres contained the houses and gardens of Preston Road along its northern boundary, Preston Grove along the southwest and the northern end of St Andrews Road in the east. Today the central part of the former Seven & Eight Acres is occupied by the buildings and car park of the University Centre Yeovil and the houses and gardens of Christopher Close.

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

 

 

The 1849 Preston Tithe Map. Seven & Eight Acres is at centre top.

 

The 1849 Preston Tithe Map overlaid on a modern map.

 

The 1889 Ordnance Survey shows Lower Farm at lower left with extensive fields labelled 'Preston Grove' stretching eastwards. Seven & Eight Acres is right of centre.

 

An aerial photograph of 1927, looking southeast. Preston Road runs across lower left and Watercombe Lane is at lower right while Westland's airfield is at top right and relatively newly-built Preston Grove runs up the left of the photograph. Preston Lower Farm is at centre bottom. The southwest corner of Seven & Eight Acres is just glimpsed at centre left showing that, at this time, it was still an open field.

 

An aerial photograph of 1946 showing the approximate boundary of the former Seven & Eight Acres shown in red and by this time containing the houses and gardens of Preston Road at top, Preston Grove along the southwest and St Andrews Road in the east.