Relhan Collection : 167 Haslingfield. View of village from Barton

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>Haslingfield had a substantial population of 81 families in 1086, which grew until the late C13, shrunk to 53 families in 1563 and had only 65 houses in 1801, a reflection of the power of resident Lords of the Manor to limit population growth. Settlement areas developed near the various river crossings, by ford or bridge. Sheep-farming had long been important in Haslingfield and the Wendy family acquired and enclosed as much land as they could for sheep grazing, which was legal within and close to the village but not in the open fields. The fields are shown here as ridge and furrow, still ploughed in the communal strip field system, with enclosed hedged pastures near the village. The road N to Barton existed in 1298 when a bridge was built over a stream, presumably the Bourn Brook near Barton, not the tributary of the Cam shown by Relhan with a wooden footbridge. This road was one of 4 out of Haslingfield that were upgraded at Enclosure (1820), to make a 40ft-wide public road. The road shown beyond the church rises up White Hill, past the site of the chapel (<b>168</b>) and Bronze Age barrows that are showing on the skyline. Inflated corn prices early in C19 encouraged further Enclosure (Barton 1838). Most of the old routes around the village and across fields and 4 old trackways were upgraded to 40 ft roads to neighbouring villages, Barton Road, Harston Road, Harlton Road and Barrington Road. There were also narrow private carriage roads to homes, and public bridleways. Generally only larger landowners could afford the high expenses of enclosing their land, so most small farmers lost their holdings as well as almost all their ancient rights to use common land for grazing, fuel etc. Earl de la Warr owned 70% of land in Haslingfield and Queens’ College 16%.</p><p>RCHME 1968; Stringer and Coles 2009; Taylor 1997; VCH 1973</p></p>