| Joined: | Thu Apr 19th, 2012 |
| Location: | United Kingdom |
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In this twisty West Country road if you look top right there is the entrance to a Halfpenny Acre. (Shown better in crop underneath)
The hedge rows suddenly billow out ...this is where livestock were halted and crowded up while being counted into a field.........
The drives were often days long and the livestock needed to be 'lodged' overnight. Farms along the drovers road set aside a small field where the itinerant creatures could be parked for the night for the fee of a ....half penny. Hence the name.
Although no longer shown on this photo, these resting places were frequently "signposted" with 2 Yew Trees***. Thus weary Drovers could see where the next "service station" was and could judge their distances to resting points in advance. If you see a farm with 2 (now large) yew trees standing by the road near its entrance .....it's probably the site of an ancient Halfpenny Acre.
*** The 2 deciduous trees in the foreground MIGHT have been an alternative to yews ....or may just be .......2 trees in a field.
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Last edited on Thu Sep 5th, 2024 15:11 by
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Eric