Hawkesbury and Inglestone Commons - these extensive commons with their typical settlement pattern of small groups of cottages and farms around the edges, are ancient landscape features which have survived unchanged for a millennium. Commons were part of the “waste” of a manor, not suitable for arable or rich meadow land. Hawkesbury Common was known as “Hawkesburye’s More”, and Inglestone Common as “Inguston Greene”, “The Green Common”, or even “The Grosse Common of Hawkesbury below the Hill”.
The traditional grazing period of beasts on the commons was regulated by manorial custom, as were their number and type. Animals do not respect parish boundaries, as this account from 1603 shows: “the wastes of these two manors (Hawkesbury and Horton) do abutt each upon the other divided only with a little brook or ford through which cattle have used time out of mind to wade or stray through into the other common”.
At fixed times of the year the Lord of the Manor could “drive” the common and “if he findeth any cattle of the tenants of Horton then he impound them and for any beasts the owner do paye a poundpenny before they have had these cattle again delivered”.

Information on management of the group of commons can be found on this site under the Management of Commons section

1. We have received an updated draft Scrub Management Plan from Mark Smith. We shall be reviewing this before including it on the website. The content is similar to the previous draft but now has added information on the objectives of the plan in relation to the common.
2. We have recently appointed M&G Countryside Development to take on the first three years of scrub management.
3. The next working volunteer day is on 20th December.
   
4. We have been in contact with the RPA and Cross Compilance Team in connection with the 3% deductions. The basis for the deduction is due to a non compliance of the GEAC 11 requirement. We have asked the Cross Compliance team to put this in writing and I shall send out a copy to all concerned.
5. We have given permission to a local coppice group who will be working on the areas identified as point 5 on the scrub management plan.