A Repertoire of Opposition to Enclosure
A Repertoire of Opposition to Enclosure The Northampton Mercury contained an ‘advertisement for a football match’ at the end of July 1765 to take place over two days, August 1st and 2nd: ‘This is to give notice to all Gentlemen, Gamesters and Well-Wishers to the cause...
A People’s History
A People’s Local History I thought it would be a great thing to try and stimulate a collective writing of a People’s History: a textual tapestry of life, work and landscape around Stroud, the Five Valleys and the county in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries (and...
Give Thanks to the Book of Trespass
Give Thanks to the Book of Trespass When you’re walking footloose and fancy-free Along some seemingly ancient footpath, Checking your progress on the OS map, Senses working XTC overtime, (Apophenia! You’re part of it all! Just look at the view!) It’s hard to remember...
Not Burke and Hare but Burke and Marx and Bathurst
Horatio, the Humble Wayfarer, musing to self: ‘On the assumption that when Cirencester Park was formed, the path connecting Bisley and Cirencester was closed by the Bathurst Estate, then I suppose we can define that as an example of enclosure. But we now see another...
Walking the Wall
Walking the Wall from Walbridge to Brimscombe In the early years of the twentieth century, A jingoistic electoral cry appeared: ‘We want eight and we won’t wait!’ (The eight being dreadnoughts or battleships), Well, we waited at Walbridge for a bit And almost numbered...
Cirencester
‘For 326 years the public have enjoyed free access to Cirencester Park – one of the largest open green spaces in Gloucestershire. On March 15th, that freedom will end. The Bathurst Estate is introducing a paywall for access, with outsiders charged £4 to go...