Common land

Modern-day pannage, or "common of mast", in the New Forest

Common land (a common) is land where local people have certain rights. For example, to allow their sheep to graze, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel.

Originally in mediaeval England the common was part of the manor. Although it was part of the estate owned by the lord of the manor, tenants had certain rights.

By extension, the term "commons" has come to be applied to other resources which a community has rights or access to. Today the term "common" is mainly used for the land over which the rights are exercised. A person who has a right to common land is a commoner.

Today commons still exist in Great Britain and the United States, although their extent is much reduced from the millions of acres that existed in the 17th century.

Common Land Media

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  Poohsticks Bridge in Ashdown Forest, an area of common land.

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  Conjectural map of a mediaeval English manor. The part allocated to "common pasture" is shown in the north-east section, shaded green.

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  Snake's head fritillary, North Meadow, Cricklade. This is grazed as Lammas common land.

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  View of the Scafell massif from Yewbarrow, Wasdale, Cumbria. In the valley bottom are older enclosures and higher up on the fell-side are later enclosures on poorer land with substantial walls following boundary lines regardless of terrain. Above those is the unenclosed common land

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  The windmill on Wimbledon Common.

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  A parliamentary enclosure road near Lazonby in Cumbria. The roads were made as straight as possible, and the boundaries much wider than a cart width to reduce the ground damage of driving sheep and cattle.

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  Rig and furrow marks at Buchans Field, Wester Kittochside

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  Cambridge Common, c. 1808–9, with Harvard College at left and Christ Church at right

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  Wakefield, Massachusetts, town common showing bandstand/gazebo at right and lake at left

Related pages

• New Forest
• Tragedy of the commons