Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Cowleaze

Accommodation land in Yeovil Marsh

 

Cowleaze (Parcel 1212) was accommodation land in Yeovil Marsh. Accommodation land is a term that originated in the early nineteenth-century and was applied to land, often adjoining a town or village, that was let for cultivation or pasture. Accommodation land generally did not form part of a farm.

The 'leaze' part of the name derives from the Old English leah meaning a large, open pasture while the 'Cow' part describes the occupants.

At the time of the 1846 Tithe Apportionment, Cowleaze was owned by George Bullock and the occupier was William Symes. Cowleaze was one of more than thirty parcels of land occupied by William Symes. Cowleaze was recorded as pasture for grazing livestock measuring 9a 1r 14p.

In the 1919 sale of six Yeovil Marsh farms, Cowleaze was listed as Lot 18 and described as "A choice enclosure of rich Accommodation Pasture Land". The catalogue continued "It has an entrance direct from the main village street, and is well watered by a pond in the south east corner and extends to a total area of 9a 2r 35p of really good grass land... Let with other Lands to Mr JW Snell on a yearly Ladyday Tenancy... This tenancy expires by notice to quit at Ladyday 1920".

Cowleaze (Parcel 1212) was bounded on the north by Higher Foxey (Parcel 1211), to the west by Lower Haine's (Parcel 1213) and Higher Haine's (Parcel 1214), to the south by the road through Yeovil Marsh and to the east by Lower Eight Acres (Parcel 1207) and Higher Eight Acres (Parcel 1215).

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