TH2022 Ep09 Inclosure

Season 2022 – Talk 09 – Inclosure

Inclosure – or in today’s spelling Enclosure – is a talk where Gillian Devine tells us about the effects of Inclosure on society. She takes the example of the Inclosure of parts of the Manor of Farnham.

What does ‘Inclosure’ mean?

Inclosure is the process where land that had previously been open to anyone became private property. It includes fencing the land, using walls and hedges to create private estates.

The ‘peasants’ farmed strips of land for centuries, Inclosure collects these together and removes the ‘peasants’ from the land.

The Board of Agriculture:

In the 1790s the Board of Agriculture sends surveyors out across the country to survey the wasteland, or common land. When they survey Frensham they do not see it as a place where you can make a living through cultivation because their report states that it is sandy soil with loamy spots.

Act of Parliament:

Inclosure requires an act of Parliament. For many years Inclosure proposals from across the country are bundled up in annual Inclosure Parliamentary business.

The owners of one third of the land proposed for enclosure are required before a proposal can be made.

Some of the land proposed  can be sold to cover the costs of the process, because of this 800m acres are offered for sale at an auction in Farnham.

The National Trust:

We are lucky that much of the land covered by the Farnham Inclosure is now owned by the National Trust and we can walk across Frensham Common and Ponds, and the Devils Punchbowl at Hindhead. Of course these commons are not common land because the National Trust owns them.

Listen to the podcast and hear Gillian Devine tell the full story the effect on the inhabitants of the Farnham Manor.

About this podcast:

This is an edited recording of a talk given to the Farnham u3a World History  Group. It is not possible to use many of the images in the original talk for copyright reasons.

The Farnham u3a site is here.

You can also listen using Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

AKM Music licenses Media Magazine for use as the theme music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham u3a World History Group 2018 – 2022

TH2022 Ep08 Farnham in the Civil War

Season 2022 – Talk 08 – Farnham in the Civil War

In Farnham in the Civil War Pam Taylor tells why Farnham was of significant importance during the first English Civil War.

Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk.

At the crossing of two major roads:

The first of the roads is the North / South route running from Southampton to London via Bagshot and crossing the river at Staines.

The other is the East / West North Downs Trackway running from the Kent coast to the Wiltshire downlands via Winchester.

Because it is at the junction of two roads Farnham is a good place to station troops.

A wealthy town:

Farnham had grown wealthy on the wool trade but by the mid-1620s this trade was in decline. Because of this some were turning to growing hops and others becoming corn merchants.

Farnham Castle:

Parts of the castle are nearly 900 years old and, at the time of the Civil War, were already 500 years old!

In 1138 Henry of Blois, the Bishop of Winchester, founds the castle. For many centuries it is a residence for the Bishops of Winchester. In medieval times the diocese of Winchester is the richest in England.

In November 1642 Sir John Denham and a Royalist force take control of the castle. On 1st December a Parliamentarian force under Sir William Waller storms and takes the castle. The castle was well provisioned with 300 sheep, 100 oxen and other food along with arms and ammunition which Waller takes as well as the castle.

Later  in the war the Castle is made ‘indefensible’.

The garrison:

Troops are garrisoned in Farnham and they take part in a number of military actions in the such as the three assaults on Basing House and the Battle of Cheriton.

Listen to the podcast and hear Pam Taylor tell the full story of these actions and the effect of the war on the townsfolk of Farnham.

About this podcast:

This is an edited recording of a talk given to the Farnham u3a World History  Group. It is not possible to use many of the images in the original talk for copyright reasons.

The Farnham u3a site is here.

You can also listen using Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

AKM Music licenses Media Magazine for use as the theme music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham u3a World History Group 2018 – 2022

PP2022 Ep01 Isle of Wight with the LTM Friends

The Isle of Wight with the LTM Friends

In the Isle of Wight with the LTM Friends I take a trip organised by the London Transport Museum Friends to the Isle of Wight. The trip is in late February 2022 on a beautiful, sunny, day.

Click on a ‘thumbnail’ to view the photographs for this podcast:
Waterloo to Portsmouth and Southsea:

I have an early start to get to Waterloo where I collect my ticket for the train. We travel down the South West mainline to our first stop at Woking.

After leaving Working we head south from Woking Junction. Our route is through Guildford, Haslemere, Petersfield, under the South Downs and on towards Portsmouth.

We leave the train when we reach Portsmouth and Southsea station. You can get details of South Western Railway services here.

By Hovercraft to Ryde:

The party crosses the road and heads for the ‘Hoverbus’ stop. The bus takes us to the Hover Travel terminus for our rapid journey across the Solent to Ryde.

The ‘flight’ takes about 10 minutes, getting on and off seems to take longer!

On the Island Line:

Unfortunately our flight is late so we miss the train we’d planned to take from Ryde Esplanade station. Ryde Esplanade station is at the landward end of Ryde Pier. Trains travel to Ryde Pierhead where they meet the Wight Link ferries from Portsmouth Harbour.

Our journey to Shanklin shows how well the Island Line Class 484 stock runs. These new trains have been converted by Vivarail from London Underground D Stock trains.

Talking to a driver I hear that, if you didn’t know the stock was a conversion from the Underground, you’d think they were built for the Island Line.

Visit to Havenstreet:

We leave the train at Ryde, St Johns Road, and travel to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway at Havenstreet. After a soup and Ploughman’s lunch we have a guided tour around the site and spend time in the museum.

Many thanks to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway for hosting us on a day when there is no steam running.

We leave Havenstreet for our journey back to Ryde and the Hovercraft on our journey home.

Thank you to:

The London Transport Museum Friends, Mike Kay and the team at ATTC for organising such a great day; they also deserve special thanks for organising such beautiful weather.

London Transport Museum Friends:

The London Transport Museum Friends support the London Transport Museum. They are based in Covent Garden and also operate the ‘Depot’ in Acton.

Find out more about the museum here.

Members of the LTM Friends enjoy free admission to the Museum, discounts, early booking for the brilliant Hidden London tours and more. Interested? Click here to find out more.

Links:

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

Music in this podcast:

Steam Railway is licensed from AKM Music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio 2022