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Royalty to Commoners: Four Hundred Years of the Box Moor Trust
The history of the Box Moor Trust goes back over four centuries. When William Shakespeare was writing 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', John Rolfe, Richard Pope and William Gladman were writing themselves into the history of a small market town that lay adjacent to one of the main routes from London to Stratford.
Elizabeth I gave local land to her courtier Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in 1574, for favours unknown. This gift was part of the Manor of Hemel Hempstead that the dissolution of the monastery at Ashridge had caused to be returned to the Crown. Dudley promptly sold the land an it was this act that set into motion the beginnings of the Box Moor Trust. The precious water meadows, collectively known as 'Box Moor', were secretly purchased in 1581, on behalf of the inhabitants of Hemel Hempstead and Bovingdon.
On 26 April 1594, Rolfe and Pope openly conveyed these lands to sixty-seven Feoffes, to be held in trust for ever. Would they recognise their quiet township in the major developments of today, with the New Town, M1 and M25, canal and rail links to the capital and modern industry? Probably not, but they would still be able to discern the rivers where they often fished, the pastures where their cattle grazed, the woods where their pigs foraged and the commons where their sheep roamed.
In the last fifty years the population in the Area of Benefit covered by the Box Moor Trust has increased fourfold. A large number of the present inhabitants are not fully aware that they have the advantage of a really wonderful heritage, consisting of the Moors and Commons described in this book. The Trust Estate comprises an area of nearly five hundred acres in which they can take pride and a direct interest. Everyone can now discover the pre-historic origins, history and environmental value that this large tract of open land, situated on the urban fringe, has to offer. Rare breeds, chalk hill flora and fauna, opportunities for sport as well as informal exercise - all add to the pleasure the land affords to each generation.
The grave of James 'Robber' Snook, the last highwayman to be hanged at the scene of his crime, is still a feature of the Moons, but how much more important it is today to stop the stealthy yet incessant theft of our green and open spaces. The Trust looks forward to the new century with increased confidence and a greater resource base, in terms of acreage and natural habitat as well as finance. Let us hope that holding the Estate in common ownership will, in itself, be the best answer.
Elizabeth I gave local land to her courtier Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in 1574, for favours unknown. This gift was part of the Manor of Hemel Hempstead that the dissolution of the monastery at Ashridge had caused to be returned to the Crown. Dudley promptly sold the land an it was this act that set into motion the beginnings of the Box Moor Trust. The precious water meadows, collectively known as 'Box Moor', were secretly purchased in 1581, on behalf of the inhabitants of Hemel Hempstead and Bovingdon.
On 26 April 1594, Rolfe and Pope openly conveyed these lands to sixty-seven Feoffes, to be held in trust for ever. Would they recognise their quiet township in the major developments of today, with the New Town, M1 and M25, canal and rail links to the capital and modern industry? Probably not, but they would still be able to discern the rivers where they often fished, the pastures where their cattle grazed, the woods where their pigs foraged and the commons where their sheep roamed.
In the last fifty years the population in the Area of Benefit covered by the Box Moor Trust has increased fourfold. A large number of the present inhabitants are not fully aware that they have the advantage of a really wonderful heritage, consisting of the Moors and Commons described in this book. The Trust Estate comprises an area of nearly five hundred acres in which they can take pride and a direct interest. Everyone can now discover the pre-historic origins, history and environmental value that this large tract of open land, situated on the urban fringe, has to offer. Rare breeds, chalk hill flora and fauna, opportunities for sport as well as informal exercise - all add to the pleasure the land affords to each generation.
The grave of James 'Robber' Snook, the last highwayman to be hanged at the scene of his crime, is still a feature of the Moons, but how much more important it is today to stop the stealthy yet incessant theft of our green and open spaces. The Trust looks forward to the new century with increased confidence and a greater resource base, in terms of acreage and natural habitat as well as finance. Let us hope that holding the Estate in common ownership will, in itself, be the best answer.
263 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2004
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January 30, 2017
Everything you could ever want to know about the Box Moor Trust, between 1594 and 2004!
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