beast Close

beast Close

A field on the edge of the great Middle Field

 

Formerly part of the great medieval open Middle Field of Kingston Manor, in the Milford / New Town area, Beast Close - also known as Beer's Close - was a small enclosure formed by enclosing part of the southwestern corner of Long Close. In the late 1700s (at least) the annual rent was paid to the schoolmaster of the Yeovil Charity School to supplement his annual salary.

It was later made larger by combining it with Milford (Parcel 1016) on the other side of the Milford Brook to form a larger, 4 acre field.

The name Beast Close infers that it was the paddock in which oxen were kept and its western side ran alongside Milford Brook to enable the animals to get to water.

The 1842 Tithe Map shows Beast Close with the parcel numbers 1015 and 1016 and the 1846 Tithe Apportionment noted that the field was pasture, measuring 4a 0r 2p. It was owned by John Neal with James Squire as tenant.

By 1896 Thomas William Dampier-Bide was Lord of Kingston Manor and owner of Beast Close. In June 1896 he sold Beast Close, otherwise Beer's Close, at auction (see Gallery below).

Today this former field is covered by the central section of Summerhouse View.

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.

 

This map is based on the 1842 Tithe Map with field names added from the 1846 Tithe Award.

 

The 1842 Tithe Map superimposed (roughly) over a modern street map showing where several modern roads, for example Gordon Road, Grass Royal and Highfield Road, follow former field boundaries.  

 

Gallery

 

A notice of sale for Beast Close, otherwise Beer's Close, in the 5 June 1896 edition of the Western Gazette.