Trent's Close

Trent's Close

A field in the great Middle Field

 

Who Trent, the owner of this field was, is unknown - the only known early records of Trents in Yeovil are the 1548 Return of Chantries which shows a Stephen Trent occupying a burgage, etc. in Yevell and in 1589 Margaret Trent, widow, was the tenant of Bordeland in Kingston.

In his will dated 1 January 1658, Giles Hayne wrote "My wish is that those grounds called Trents Close doe remaine to that Childe or Children which my wife is now with Child... ".

Originally part of the great medieval Middle Field of Kingston Manor, Trent's Close lay to the south of the track known as Milford Lane (today's Milford Road) and in the 1846 Tithe Apportionment it was noted as Parcel 1003, being 2a 3r 14p in area and used as pasture for grazing animals.

It was bounded on the north by Langs Bush (1002), to the east by Ridgeway (1001), to the south by Middle Ground (1004) and to the west by Long Close (1006).

Today, the former Trent's Close is occupied by the houses and gardens of Hillcrest Close and the northern part of Hill Crest Road.

 

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

 

The 1946 aerial photograph clearly shows Langs Bush as a rectangular field at top right, to the south of Milford Road (running across the photograph) and bounded by hedges on three sides with the shadows of seven trees in the southern hedge. In the lower right corner the northern part of Hill Crest Road has been built on Trent's Close and the southern part before Highfield Road has been built on Middle Ground.