Cocked Hat
Cocked Hat
A field originally part of Torren?
Somewhat south of the junction of Dorchester Road and Hendford Hill was originally a large field called Torren. By 1704 a lease showed that it had been divided into "two closes of arable and pasture ground called Torren, upon Hinford Hill". Between 1719 and 1751 various deeds referred to "Furzey close lying at Hyndford Hill commonly called the Torrett". By 1832 the Register of Electors recorded it as Tarratt's and at this time it was owned by Charles Stephens who resided in Paradise Row in Huish.
It would appear that by the time of the 1842 Tithe Map, Tarratt had been divided into at least eight smaller fields, four of which retained the name Tarratt, in addition to Higher Tarratt, Lower Tarratt, Great Tarratt and Little Tarratt. Cocked Hat is most likely to have formed the north-eastern corner of Tarratt. It is a rectangular field, unlike the triangular field to its north (Bowling Green - Parcel 775) which more properly represented a cocked hat. Brooke suggests that it is a transposed name.
The
1846 Tithe
Apportionment
described
Cocked Hat
(Parcel 774) as
arable
measuring 3a 1r
6p and noted
that John
Woolmington was the
owner /
occupier. Cocked
Hat was
bounded on the
east by
Little Tarratt
(Parcel
773), on the
north by Little
Tarratt Lane,
on the
south by
Great
Tarratt (Parcel
772) and on the
east by
Dorchester Road.
As seen in the aerial photograph of 1946 below, Little Tarratt was arable. Today it is pasture and lies in the parish of East Coker.
For details on historic land measurement (ie acres, roods and perches) click here.
MAPs & Aerial Photographs
Map based on the 1842 Tithe Map with field names added from the 1846 Tithe Award. Cocked Hat is at top right.
The 1842 Tithe Map superimposed over a modern aerial photograph of the area. Although the field boundaries do not align precisely, remember that the 1846 survey was undertaken by hand using primitive surveying equipment.
The 1946 aerial photograph with East Coker Road running from bottom left to centre top, Dorchester Road at top right and Little Tarratt Lane running between the two at the top. Cocked Hat is at centre right.
The modern satellite image of Cocked Hat at centre. The rest of the image has been lightened to make Little Tarrat stand out.
Cocked Hat seen from Little Tarratt Lane. Photographed in 2015.
