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House History Workshop III
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The Tithing today
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House History Workshop V
Background information on the two Painswick Mills
Article to Painswick Beacon
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Projects continued
Location: Gloucestershire
3. Landscape studies
Aspects of interest to the landscape historian comprise a wide variety of study areas; the ecology and geology, physical indications of agricultural and industrial activity, field boundaries with their field names, roads, tracks and footpaths. Information is gathered from survey and observation of ‘lumps and bumps’, cross-referenced with aerial photography, early maps and other documentary evidence. The Trust is liasing with Painswick Local History Society undertaking a ‘lumps and bumps’ survey, supplemented by aerial photography.
One such example is a field system in Greenhouse Lane where maps and an aerial photograph show what is possibly a very ancient field system surviving into the contemporary landscape. The aerial photograph shows fields between Greenhouse Lane and Dudscombe Farm. Greenhouse Lane, dating from before the Norman Conquest, cuts through earlier field boundaries. Later ridge and furrow ploughing can also be seen.
More information
Greenhouse Lane is deeply incised into the landscape, giving an indication of great age. It forms a boundary of the Tithing, therefore it must be either earlier or contemporary with the defined boundary (ie. 1000 years or more). It can be seen to cut through the corner of Dudscombe field, formerly part of the demesne or manorial field . This is a key chronological indicator showing it to be of a later date than the fields. The relationship between the road and fields is complex; the fact that the road cut across the fields suggests that the road was more important than the field or perhaps the fields had been abandoned at that time. It is interesting to note that these ancient field boundaries are still in use today.
The fields are small and roughly rectangular of a type created in southern Britain at any time since the later Bronze Age c1200 B.C. The boundaries of ancient fields can often be seen in the form of lynchets, scarps created by the movement of soil down the slope. An example can be seen in the centre of the aerial photograph.
These fields could already have been as much as 2000 years old when Greenhouse Lane was made; or Greenhouse Lane could be significantly older then the Saxon period, bearing in mind it forms part of the Bisley Path between Gloucester and Cirencester, both important Roman settlements. It might quite possible the Tithing boundary would have been placed along an existing road, which would have been a defined feature in the landscape.
The remnants of ridge and furrow ploughing seen in the aerial photograph appear to be confined within existing field boundaries and therefore post-dates the boundaries. It is interesting to note that the ridge and furrow on the lower slopes, where this method of cultivation is most prominent, was under pasture in 1820 (as shown on Fosbrook and Baker map). In order to date individual examples as being earlier or later than 1820, we need to look for indicators.
For example, a field where there are two different parcels of ridge and furrow within an elongated field where a dividing boundary has been removed before 1820, indicates earlier ploughing. However, we do know that ridge and furrow ploughing was employed during World War II so other examples may be of a later date.
Photo 16: Aerial photograph II
Thank you to Mark Bowden of English Heritage for the commentary.
4. Ecology
The Slad and Painswick Valleys comprise part of the incised landscape of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, formed by the eroding of land by rivers over many thousands of years. All forms of habitat can be found here, including ponds and streams, woodland and grassland; they are all under increasing pressure from urban development.
Juniper Hill is situated on the west-facing slope of the Wickridge above Wick Street, the old coach road from Painswick to Stroud. It is an example of one of the increasingly rare sites of unimproved limestone grassland in Britain based on the oolitic limestone rocks formed in warm, tropical seas some 150 million years ago.
The geology here is the foundation for the wildlife habitat, nurturing food plants such as cowslips for butterflies, while the old quarries provide a sheltered environment. It is a nationally important wildlife site, supporting over 170 plant species and a wide range of fauna. Among the flora are many rare orchids, while the varied fauna include butterflies such as the Duke of Burgundy fritillary, lizards, snakes and molluscs and a wide variety of birds and mammals.
More information
Juniper Hill may have been named after the juniper trees, which were to be found here (of which only two remain). It is also called Wickeridge Common on a map of field names superimposed upon the 1839 Baker map . It has been quarried over the centuries, providing stone for local houses and road making. A large quarry (Frith Quarry) in the adjacent woodland is an important site for exposed Jurassic rock.
Traditionally it was one of several local commons grazed by sheep, supplying wool for export in medieval times and subsequently the local cloth industry. Latterly cattle grazed here until the custom ceased in the mid-twentieth century. The hill is no longer grazed and this has led to the encroachment of rank grasses, scrub and woodland, smothering this rich grassland habitat. Options to enable grazing to be reintroduced are being investigated by the Cotswolds AONB Partnership.
Ref: Key Sites Survey Report Juniper Hill
Joy Elworthy for the Gloucestershire Trust for Nature Conservation 1988
As pdf file Key Sites Survey Report
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