Woodborough’s Heritage

Woodborough, a Sherwood Forest Village, recorded in Domesday



Woodborough in 1609



Landowners and tenants in Woodborough recorded by Richard Banks, a surveyor born in Coventry, in his Crown Survey map of Sherwood Forest 1609, of which the Woodborough Parish makes up just one small piece.


The following is given with acknowledgement and thanks to The Thoroton Society Record Series 1997, Sherwood Forest in 1609. This map depicts the whole Parish of Woodborough. From the plot list below, the first column gives only brief information of the plot number and the freeholder’s name, then a more detailed description and the last column provides the acreage.


Stephanos Mastoris records there is text that accompanies the map and it is the earliest map of the forest. In the text every acre, rood, and perch is analysed as belonging to each Freeholder. The cartographer was Richard Banks and the map was completed in 1609. The survey was undertaken between March 1607 and February 1608. It was part of an ongoing process by Queen Elizabeth I and King James I to examine land tenure to see if the Crown had any rights over it. Between 1600 and 1624 they engaged in a policy of tracing ‘concealed’ land and appropriating it. This was land to which the Freeholder could not prove ownership or land which had been assarted illegally. Heavy rents were then charged on such land. The costs of the survey were more than covered by the increased revenue from fines that it generated. No doubt neighbouring landlords were intimidated into having their estates mapped by way of self protection.

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The extent of woodland shown in Woodborough in 1609 - The main area of woodland in the village was to the west of the West Field and belonged to Strelley of the Upper Hall. At the time it included Woodborough Wood, Stoup Hill Coppice, Mardales, Fox Wood and the Riddings. The latter appears to have been woodland which had been felled and would have been called a ‘waste’ at the time. The large area of woodland and coppice covered about 530 acres. The other area was on the south side of Bank Hill and reached as far as Agram Wells on Lingwood Lane. It was by Mr John Wood of the Middle Hall (the present Manor). It included Sowe Wood or Sowoode and Stanley Wood, which was the coppice and was about 56 acres in extent.


It appears that these two areas of woodland, totalling about 586 acres, remained for about three centuries until the time of the Inclosure Award in 1798, although by then all of the woodland was being coppiced.

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Plot number & name of freeholder

A brief description of the land as published by Thoroton

Acreage

1100   Woodborough

The whole town and closes, not cast up in the plot

99a.2r.27p

1101   Common to Woodborough

Great arable field next adjoining and also belonging to the said town, called Hoverley Field

231a.2r.38p

1102   Bishop of York

One arable close lying unto the said field, called Hoverley Close, in the occupation of Christopher Foster, tenant, the Bishop of Yorke, freeholder

28a.2r.21p

1103   Christopher Turner

One parcel of wood next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Christopher Turner, freeholder

2a.3r.5p



Ad huc Woodborrough [Woodborough] Lordship


1104   John Wood

One other parcel of wood ground next thereunto adjoining, called Greate Hunna Wood and four closes of pasture and arable near unto the said wood adjoining, in the occupation of John Wood, freeholder

40a.2r.38p

1105   John Wood

One other wood next to the same adjoining called Sowe Wood, John Wood, freeholder

51a.3r.16p

1106   John Wood

One other close next thereunto adjoining, called Blackenclose {note: Brackenclose], in the occupation of John Wood, freeholder

21a.0r.4p

1107  John Wood

Two cots and one close near adjoining, called Mr Woodes Coppice [note: John Wood], freeholder

5a.2r.0p

1108   Mr Strelley

One other close next adjoining, in the occupation of Mr Sturley, freeholder [note: Sturley crossed out]

8a.0r.24p

1109   Leyes

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Leyes, freeholder

1a.2r.21p

1110   Common to Woodborough

One other close next thereunto adjoining, being part of the West Feild [1118] called Blackendale [note: Brackedale]

36a.1r.18p

1111

One piece of waste ground lying between Sowe Wood [1105] & West Feild [1118] [note: depicts 'Merston Well' at south-east of the close]

37a.0r.20p

1112   John Wood

One close next adjoining to the said waste, in the occupation of Mr John Wood [note: Woods crossed out]

16a.2r.17p

1113   John Crofts of Oxton

One other close near adjoining to the same, in the occupation of John Croftes, freeholder [note: John Crofts of Oxton in a list of freeholders here in 1612]

1a.0r.32p

1114   Christopher Strelley

Three other closes mear thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Christopher Strelley, freeholder [note: Sturley crossed out, Christopher Strelley's pedigree is given in Visitations 1662/1663 Thoroton pages 73-76]

25a.2r.7p

1115   Prebend of Southwell

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of the Prebend of Southwell, Christopher Fauster [Foster], tennent

7a.3r.28p

1116   Prebend of Southwell

One wood called Foxwood, in the occupation of Christopher Fauster [Foster], the Prebend of Southwell, freeholder [note: this entry is a later insertion in the same hand as the main text, entry not found]

371a.1r.0p

1117   Christopher [Strelley]

Five woods near about the same adjoining, called by the several names of Stoope Hill, Woodborough Wood, Mardales [and] Ridling in the occupation of Christopher Sturley, freeholder

445a.0r.0p

1118   Common to Woodborough

One common arable field next thereupto adjoining and to the town of Woodborough belonging, called West Feild [see also 1110] called West Field [note: 'Sutt' crossed out]

77a.2r.12p

1119

One other close lying upon said field [1118], in the occupation of [-]

1a.2r.3p

1120   John Craftes

One other close adjoining upon the said field [1118], in the occupation of John Craftes, freeholder [note: John Chaddock, tennant]

2a.1r.32p

1121

One other close near adjoining and being part of West Feild [1118]

22a.0r.31p



Ad huc Woodborrough [Woodborough] Lordship


1122   Christopher Sturley

Five other closes about the same adjoining in the occupation of Mr Christopher Sturley, freeholder [note: 'Christopher Clarke, tennant]

63.a.3r.25p

1123   Southwell Church

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occuptaion of Christopher Foster, tenant, tenant, the Church of Southwell, freeholder

18a.0r.39p

1124   John Wood

One other close near thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of John Wood, freeholder [note: William Oldney, tenant]

4a.3r.35p

1125

One other long parcel of ground lying upon the bound of the Forest, extending from Swanne Poole to Christopher Sturley's mill [1125c]. [note: This mill is depicted but not named on the Belvoir map of Sherwood Forest of c.1600]

107.a2r.9p

1126   Common to Woodborough

One common field next thereunto adjoining and belonging to Woodborough, called Moore Feild Common

222a1r.7p

1127   Christopher Foster

Two (three) other little closes lying on 1126 [notes: 1127 A 0a.3r.11p Christiopher Foster, 1127B 1a.1r.15p William Foster, lord, 1127C 0a.2r.5p]

2a.2r.29p

1128   Nicholas Leyes (Lees?)

One other close lying near said town [Woodborough], in the occupation of Nicholas Leyes, freeholder

1a.2r.0p

1129   Thomas Alvey

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Thomas Alvey, freeholder

1a.3r.18p

1130   Thomas Wyer

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Thomas Wyre, freeholder

1a.0r.28p

1131   Richard Alvey

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Richard Alvey, freeholder

1a.1r.27p

1132   Henry Alvey

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Henry Alvey, freeholder

0a,1r.11p

1133

One other close near thereunto adjoining, icalled Ould Meade, in the occupation of [-]

1a.1r.29p

1134   Nicholas Leyes

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Nicholas Leyes, freeholder

0a,1r.10p

1135   Thomas Alvey

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Thomas Alvey, freeholder

0a. 3r.0p

1136   Thomas Wyer

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Thomas Wyre, freeholder

?

1137   Christopher Strelley

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Christopher Sturley, freeholder

6a.2r.21p

1138   Nicholas Leyes

One other little close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Nicholas Leyes

0a.1r.0p

1139   Southwell Church

One other close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Southwell Church, freeholder

1a.3r.10p

1140   Common to Woodborough

One common arable field next thereunto adjoining and belonging to the said town of Woodborough,called East Feild

?



Ad huc Woodborrough [Woodborough] Lordship


1141   Mr Strelley

One other close lying in East Feild [note: 1140], in the occupation of Mr Sturley, freeholder

1a.0r.14p

1142   Southwell Church

One other close next adjoining to the same, in the occupation of Southwell Church, freeholder

2a.1r.30p

1143   John Alvey

One other close lying upon the said field [note: 1140] East Feild, in the occupation of John Alvey

1a.3r.12p

1144   Christopher Strelley

One other close near thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Christopher Sturley, freeholder

1a.3r.30p

1145   Southwell Church

One other little close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Southwell Church , freeholder

0a.1r.36p

1146   Nicholas Leyes

One other little close next thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Nicholsa Leyses, freeholder

0a.0r.36p

1147   Christopher Strelley

Three other closes lying near unto the same, in the occupation of Christopher Leyes, freeholder

4a.3r.27p

1148   William Foster

One other close near thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of William Foster, freeholder

0a.3r.22p

1149   Nicholas Jebes

One other close near thereunto adjoining, in the occupation of Nicholas Jebes [note: Jebes or Jeves]

0a.3r.33p








FINIS WOODBORROUGH LORDSHIP




Acknowledgement:

Since Inclosure most of the woodland has disappeared, due probably to the increased use of brick for building purposes starting in the village in the early 18th century, and to the demand for agricultural produce due to the Industrial Revolution and the population growth of Nottingham in the early 19th century. By the beginning of the 20th century, with hand framework knitting in rapid decline, the village was mainly agricultural – farming and market gardening – and little woodland was left. Today (1990) probably less than ten acres of poor woodland remain within the parish boundary. This would include an area within the parish boundary between Bank Hill, Nottingham Road, Dorket Head, Georges Lane and Spindle Lane



SHERWOOD FOREST IN 1609

A Crown Survey by Richard Bankes

published by The Thoroton Society


Woodborough Lordship


All of this lordship (the whole of Woodborough parish is shown on a portion of the map drawn to accompany this survey).

Woodborough is located on the Belvoir map of Sherwood Forest of c. 1600. brief account of the manorial history of this lordship is given

in Thoroton 1677 pages 31 to 35. Read the modern interpretation to do so follow this link: [Thoroton 1677]


Note: For details of the watermills on the Doverbeck in this lordship and beyond use this link: [Woodborough watermill].




Below: The Woodborough section of Richard Bankes 1609 map of Sherwood Forest shows that the Parish is largely wooded in the west and south. It also illustrates the pre enclosure larger fields. Ploughman Wood to the south-east is not shown on this map, it is included in the neighbouring Parish of Lowdham’s version of the 1609 map.


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