Mill+Common



When Mill Common was enclosed in 1799, 36 parcels of land, amounting in total to 187 acres (by comparison, Sotterley Common had 110 acres), were allocated to 26 individuals. Regarding the site of Mill Common, Wrentham had three mills sited towards the eastern part of the parish boundary with Covehithe and South Cove. This is the area where Mill Common would be expected to occur.

The road marked in orange is the route taken by the Ipswich Lowestoft turnpike made in 1786 (the modern A12). The red dotted line is part of the conjectured parish boundary of Wrentham based on the modern parish boundary. The purple lines are roads on the modern map which were not marked by Hodskinson. FF is probably the site of Field Farm. The green lines are Golden Square Lane and its extension to the east. Both tracks are modern rights of way. The named lanes on the modern map are all visible on Hodskinson’s map. The lanes seem to have given access to common land before enclosure.

One of these mills can be located on the 1883 OS map where the parish boundary between Wrentham and South Cove crosses the B1127 (see map). Another was probably situated somewhere along Mill Lane close to the Mill Cottages marked on the 1883 OS map, and the third mill is mapped in the Tithe Map in relation to Mill Meadow and Mill Field, which were located across the modern A12 to the north east of Pye Hall (present day playing field). This makes it likely that the triangular piece of land between the A12 and the B1127, with its its apex at the junction of these two roads was Mill Common, although on Hodskinson's map it was labeled Wrentham Common.

On the modern map, the site of Wrentham Common (alias Mill Common) marked on Hodskinson’s map occupies both sides of the northern valley of the Easton River. The river actually marks the boundary between Wrentham and South Cove in the bottom half of the left hand map. It has a system of artificial channels which drain the western side of the valley. The total amount of land in this triangle of land between the A12 and the B1127, down to the boundary between Wrentham and Frostenden, amounts to about 230 acres so it could easily accommodate the 187 acres of Mill Common that were enclosed.

From the junction of the A12 with the B1127, a triangle of land between the river and the B1127 as far as the parish boundary to the south of Wrentham House (property outlined in green), is divided into narrow compartments running in an east to west direction. There are now around 30 dwellings associated with these land divisions. This distinctive pattern of property boundaries is found in the Tithe Map with 24 compartments in this area numbered 304-328 consecutively from north to south as far as the mill, which was situated on the parish boundary. They were owned by 15 people. We know that the enclosure process in 1799 divided the 187 acres of Mill Common between 26 people with common rights. Most of these allocations were 1 acre or less. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that the arrangement of compartments in the Tithe Map and Apportionment represented the original pattern of enclosure allotments as they had developed since 1799. However, only two people with the same family names as those who were allotted the enclosed land of Mill Common are listed in the Tithe Apportionment as proprietors. The present settlement pattern along the B1127 in this part of Wrentham was built upon these property divisions in the second half of the 19th century.

An important question to be answered is, where did the 26 people with commoners rights on Mill Common live at the time of the enclosure award? with the B1127 and the A12 (see left hand map).