Hungerford Virtual Museum

Website produced and maintained for the Hungerford Historical Association
by Hugh Pihlens

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You are in [Themes] [Town & Manor] [Common & Freeman's Marsh] [Hungerford Common]

Hungerford Common Port Down is the area of common owned and managed by the Town and Manor of Hungerford, and managed by the Commons Committee, responsible to the Trustees. Commoners of the Town and Manor have rights of grazing on the land..

It is the high ground to the east of Hungerford, and now comprises an unspoilt area of about 220 acres (about 89 hectares).

It has been used over the years for a wide variety of recreational purposes, including golf and steam fairs!

The main entrance to the Common is at the Down gate, with the adjacent pub called the Downgate (previously the Royal Exchange, and the Spotted Cow). A dew pond in front of the pub was filled in c1898.

An extensive and detailed survey of the Common was carried out in 2005 as part of the Urban Commons Project by English Heritage. Interestingly, aerial photographs showed probable remains of a prehistoric or Roman field system, as well as later land improvement and landscaping.
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The size of the common has varied over the centuries. The earliest reference to Hungerford Common or Port Down, in a survey of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1513-14, states that the common contained 50 acres (West Berkshire SMR MWB3380), much less than in the present day.

Robert James mentions that the first record that the inhabitants of Hungerford had rights and privileges on a common was circa 1543 in a survey by the Duchy of Lancaster "a common called Portsdown containing 60 acres, upon which groweth 50 timber oak" for necessary building.

It was extended by about a third at the time of the Parliamentary Enclosure, by adding part of Sanham Down and Everlong. [Follow this link for more on the Common Fields]. The Everlong field is clearly separate to the common on Rocque;s map of Berkshire, 1761, and is still shown separately on the Enclosure Award map of 1819-20, marked as "Feoffees in trust for the commoners over Hungerford Port Down".

A long linear ditch and bank, now partly obscured by rough shrubs and trees, runs east from the port down gate towards Kintbury. This appears to be the boundary between the Common Port Down and the Everlong, and is thought to have been the remains of the "Old and Great Market Road from Hungerford to Newbury", shown on a sketch map dating from c1750.
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The Kennet and Avon Canal was constructed across the common in 1798, and the "Berkshire and Hampshire Railway" in December 1847.

There are several old gravel and chalk pits on the common.




			Hungerford Common, May 2009



			Western half of a map of c1750 showing the "Old and Great Market Road from Hungerford to Newbury"



	Aerial photograph September 2001, showing, in addition to the main roads across the common, and the trout farm top right, the weaving line of the shrubs along the Everlong boundary and the linear terracing to the north west.



			The terracing on the north west part of the Common, Sep 2001

In September 1878 the Mayor and Feoffees placed some "commodious seats on the Downs, for the convenience of the townspeople who resort there."

During the period around the First World War, many early aeroplanes landed on the Common. The local photographer, Albert Parsons, who himself joined the Royal Flying Corps during the war, has left us with many photographs. See Aeroplanes on the Common.

A gate-keeper's hut stood on the north side of the road at the Down gate until c1930.

A 9-hole golf course was built on Hungerford Common in the early 20th century - although the dates are unclear. There was a Golf Club hut near the gate-keeper's hut. [If you can help provide further information on the golf course, please email the administrator].

Between January and July 1915, the 180 Company RASC(MT) assembled in Hungerford, and there are many photographs of them on the Common. Follow this link for more on the 180 Company RASC(MT).
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During the Second World War, just two months after D-Day, there were huge numbers of American troops around Hungerford. On 10th August, about 18,000 gathered on the common for a parade in front of General Eisenhower, the Allied Supreme Commander. Follow this link for more on the American troops on the common.

A ban on the use of metal detectors was imposed by the Town and Manor in April 1979. The NWN of 24 Apr 1980 reported "The Wessex Metal Detecting Group is protesting a decision by Hungerford Town and Manor - which control Hungerford Common - to ban the use of metal detectors on the Common.

Hungerford Common is different from other common land in that it is under the control of the Trustees rather than a local authority and the Trustees have greater power to say what shall and shall not happen on its land.

The ban on detectors was imposed last April and notices to that effect were posted on the common in August.

A spokesman for the Trustees said on Tuesday that a ban was imposed because cattle were grazed on the land and careless digging could pose a danger to them.

In addition, said the spokesman, the Trustees had a duty to protect the common for the people and retain any objects found in the ancient area to protect the heritage of Hungerford."

The Common is grazed during the summer (15 April - 31 October) by cattle belonging to various Commoners, and other farmers. In 2009-10 and 2010-11 there were 180 cattle grazing.

See also:
- Hungerford Common, Freeman's Marsh and Environs, Aerial Survey and Investigation Special Project AER/5/2005, English Heritage.
- A Study of Hungerford Common, by John o'Gaunt School 1986 (part only)
- Spotted Cow / Royal Exchange / Downgate Inn
- Bare Knuckle Fight on Hungerford Common, 1821
- Bare Knuckle Fight on Hungerford Common, 1827
- Autumn Manoeuvres around Hungerford, 1872
- Aeroplanes on Hungerford Common
- Golf Club
- First World War
- Second World War
- Steam Rallies on the Common, 1970-74

Updated: 31.1.2012