In a previous issue of the Reeve's Tale the story of Bawdeswell Heath was related, its origin dating back to the Land Enclosure Acts at the beginning of the 19th century.Likewise the Parish of Foxley was allocated a parcel of land for the use of the people.
John Fletcher has contributed this account of:
THE ORIGIN OF THE "SURVEYORS'LAND" IN FOXLEY -
We have a number of documents dating back to 1735 relating to our home, and we noted references in some of them relating to "Surveyor's land".The references were in the awards of land allocated under the "Act for Inclosing Lands within the Parish of Foxley, in the County of Norfolk", dated September 22nd 1815. There is a paragraph entitled "Allotments to the Surveyors of the Highways". This land was that now known as the "Surveyor's Land" at the end of the Street, Foxley where Themelthorpe Road starts.
The Commissioners appointed by the Act of Parliament were named
John Dugmore, William Unthank and William Withers, the Younger.
They organised the measurement and recording of the land claimed by various landowners, copyholders, freeholders and tenants.
They also defined public roads, private roads, boundaries, public footpaths, the public drains, fences, ditches and hedges.The land allocated to the "Surveyors of the Highways" was two acres. It was bounded by land allotted to Charles Leaman to the North; Sir John Lombe to the East and South (in part) and the Themelthorpe Road to the West.
It was (quote) "set out as and for public Clay and Sand Pits and to the intent that the same allotments shall forever hereafter be used by the owners and occupiers of lands and estates within the said Parish Of Foxley, for the time being and forever, in reasonable and proper manner, for the repair of houses, outbuildings, fence walls and barn floors, in the said Parish".
The concept of the use of this land has obviously changed since 1815.
The Parish Council were custodians on behalf of the village. Part of it was sold off to Anglian Water for the sewerage pumping station in the 1980's and the remainder in the year 2000 to raise funds for the village. It has now been cleared and two fishing lakes have been excavated as part of the facilities for the Moor Farm holiday cottages.
J. F.