West Swincombe

West Swincombe

A field within the great manorial East Field

 

West Swincombe (Parcel 943), was originally a large field in the great medieval East Field of Kingston Manor.

In his will dated 1581, John Phelps wrote "... Item I geve and bequeathe unto my secounde sonne William half my grounde at Swyncombe ...  Item I geve and bequeathe unto my thirde sonne John thelder the other moyte of my ground at Swyncombe ...".

The 1846 Tithe Apportionment noted that West Swincombe was in the ownership of Henry Goodford Esq. of Chilton Cantello and occupied by Mrs Phillis Coles, as part of Stone Farm at this time. The Tithe Apportionment shows West Swincombe was used as pasture for grazing livestock and measured 19a 0r 30p.

West Swincombe was bounded on the south by Mudford Road, on the east by East Swincombe (Parcel 940), to the north by Waindle Wood Plantation (Parcel 942) and on the west by Mudford Parish.

By the time of the 1946 aerial photograph, seen below, West Swincombe was still an open field although houses and gardens of Mudford Road filled its southern edge. Today, West Swincombe is still an open field but has been enlarged by incorporating the former Waindle Wood Plantation (Parcel 942).

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.

 

A map of the great medieval East Field of Kingston Manor showing conjectured locations of several fields based on descriptions in the 1589 Terrier.

 

This map, based on the Yeovil Tithe Map of 1842 and the Preston Plucknett Tithe Map of 1849, shows in yellow the parcels of land of Stone Farm that were technically in the Parish of Preston Plucknett and in pink are the parcels that were technically in the Parish of Yeovil.

 

Drawn from the 1846 Tithe Map with field names added from the 1846 Tithe Apportionment, with West Swincombe (Parcel 943) at top left.

 

The 1946 aerial survey photograph with parcel numbers of 1846 plotted on.

 

An aerial view (courtesy of Mr Google) of the area today.

 

The 1843 Tithe Map overlaid onto a modern map of the area.