[Pete Lee]

Posted on behalf of Dr Marshall:

I am not a member of Hexham Local History Society but am based in Hexham. As a craftsmen/designer/researcher/academic I am involved in a small research project focused on the parallels between craft and commoning https://commoners.craftspace.co.uk/home/

I have a question that I hope someone may know the answer to or direct me to a good source of information.

“What land in and around Hexham has historically been common land, and how and when was this lost to private or other types of ownership?”

I realise that this may only be answerable within specific time periods (e.g. before and after enclosures), but at this stage it would be good to get a broad sense and ideally identify some map imagery showing historic common lands .

Dr Justin Marshall AFHEA
Associate Professor in Design

e: justin.marshall@northumbria.ac.uk

[Ian Hancock]

Dr Marshall – The easiest source for information on Hexham and Hexhamshire common land is the Northumberland County History. Volume III, Hexhamshire Part 1, deals with Hexham town, and Volume IV, Hexhamshire Part 2, with Hexhamshire and Allendale.
There were two major enclosure awards – for Hexham East and West Commons, in 1755 and for Hexhamshire and Allendale Common in 1792. You can find the awards, and many related papers, at Northumberland Archives –
QRD/2/1,p130 Award on the Division of Hexham East Common and Hexham West Common, 1755; Plans in ZGI plans XXXII/1
NRO 06785 HEXHAMSHIRE & ALLENDALE COMMON AWARD 1792
Ian Hancock

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