Ashdown Forest

The Commoners are, more than any other group of people, responsible for the continued existence of Ashdown Forest as an open, undeveloped area. They did this by:

Opposing the Duke of Dorset’s attempts to extinguish their Rights in 1693; despite losing some 8,000 acres of the Forest which was enclosed for rabbit farming, 6,000 acres were left for the use of the Commoners.

When Earl De La Warr challenged the Right of Commoners to collect bracken litter from the Forest, the Commoners’ solicitor, Augustus Raper, took the issue to court. This action lead to the Regulation of the Forest and the 1885 Ashdown Forest Act, which ascerted the Rights of the Commoners and eventually allowed free public access to the area.

The Rights of pasturage (grazing), estovers (collection of birch, willow and alder for firewood) and litter (bracken or heather, cut for thatching and stock bedding) were intrinsic to a simple pastoral system.

The Commoners Faming System

Stock were grazed on the Forest through the summer, allowing the in-bye land (fields close to the farm, owned or tenanted by the Commoner) to be used for winter fodder production (hay) or some cereals. In the winter, the animals were housed indoors on bracken litter. In the spring, the manure-laden bracken was spread on the in-bye land to maintain fertility. Without access to the common land, these small-holdings would not have been viable, incapable of supporting the family.

The Regulation of the Forest

The 1885 Ashdown Forest Act gave the Board of Conservators, made up of 12 elected Commoners plus a representative of the Lord of the Manor (Earl De La Warr), the power to regulate the numbers and activities of the Commoners on the Forest. For the first time, there was a serious attempt to allow only bona fide Commoners access to the Forest common. Common Rights had to be established by proving 40 years of continuous “user”; witnesses would be brought before the Conservators to swear that they remembered particular properties taking litter from the Forest or turning stock out for over 40 years. Those non-Commoners caught by the Ranger taking litter were invited to prove “user” or face prosecution.

The First and Second World Wars gave many of the traditional Commoners a view of a new way of life, which didn’t involve a hand to mouth existence, endless graft and little comfort in old age. Many gave up small-holding for good and went to work in the burgeoning towns and cities. An increasingly scientific approach to agricultural production, with high productivity being the only route to profitabiliy, left the Commoners with no marker for their produce. Expensively produced local food could not compete with cheap imports.

As the Commoners moved out, the commuters moved in. Ashdown Forest is within easy travelling distance to London and offers a haven from city life.


Commoner Meetings 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 For some general information on common rights and on being a Commoner today, including how to relinquish your rights, please click here		The Commoners The Commoners are, more than any other group of people, responsible for the continued existence of Ashdown Forest as an open, undeveloped area. They did this by: Opposing the Duke of Dorset’s attempts to extinguish their Rights in 1693; despite losing some 8,000 acres of the Forest which was enclosed for rabbit farming, 6,000 acres were left for the use of the Commoners. When Earl De La Warr challenged the Right of Commoners to collect bracken litter from the Forest, the Commoners’ solicitor, Augustus Raper, took the issue to court. This action lead to the Regulation of the Forest and the 1885 Ashdown Forest Act, which ascerted the Rights of the Commoners and eventually allowed free public access to the area. The Rights of pasturage (grazing), estovers (collection of birch, willow and alder for firewood) and litter (bracken or heather, cut for thatching and stock bedding) were intrinsic to a simple pastoral system. The Commoners Faming System Stock were grazed on the Forest through the summer, allowing the in-bye land (fields close to the farm, owned or tenanted by the Commoner) to be used for winter fodder production (hay) or some cereals. In the winter, the animals were housed indoors on bracken litter. In the spring, the manure-laden bracken was spread on the in-bye land to maintain fertility. Without access to the common land, these small-holdings would not have been viable, incapable of supporting the family. The Regulation of the Forest The 1885 Ashdown Forest Act gave the Board of Conservators, made up of 12 elected Commoners plus a representative of the Lord of the Manor (Earl De La Warr), the power to regulate the numbers and activities of the Commoners on the Forest. For the first time, there was a serious attempt to allow only bona fide Commoners access to the Forest common. Common Rights had to be established by proving 40 years of continuous “user”; witnesses would be brought before the Conservators to swear that they remembered particular properties taking litter from the Forest or turning stock out for over 40 years. Those non-Commoners caught by the Ranger taking litter were invited to prove “user” or face prosecution. The Conservators were also empowered to prevent “encroachment”, whether due to illegal re-alignment of boundary fences, unauthorised quarrying or surfacing of Forest tracks. Anything which reduced the amount of grazing or damaged the bracken litter was considered to be an “encroachment”. Turbary (cutting turf for fuel or surfacing) was outlawed at this point, as being too damaging to the surface of the Forest. Common Rights are attached to property. Anyone buying a house or land in the vicinity of the Forest may find themselves to be Commoners. Apart from the pastoral Rights, Commoners are entitled to vote for representatives on the Board of Conservators and are also obliged to pay a Forest Rate, which goes towards the expense of managing the Forest. The Decline of the Commoners The First and Second World Wars gave many of the traditional Commoners a view of a new way of life, which didn’t involve a hand to mouth existence, endless graft and little comfort in old age. Many gave up small-holding for good and went to work in the burgeoning towns and cities. An increasingly scientific approach to agricultural production, with high productivity being the only route to profitabiliy, left the Commoners with no marker for their produce. Expensively produced local food could not compete with cheap imports. As the Commoners moved out, the commuters moved in. Ashdown Forest is within easy travelling distance to London and offers a haven from city life. In 1965, the Commons Registration Act forced all Commoners to re-register their Rights. Approximately half of the Commoners of Ashdown Forest didn’t bother to register their Rights and their properties ceased to be Commonable. This explains why it is possible to have a row of identical cottages, some with Common Rights and some without. Today, of the 730 existing Commoners, only a very few take advantage of their grazing and wood-cutting Rights. The Forest is suffering from the decline; after over 700 years of use, the cessation of grazing and cutting is allowing the heathland to become old and woody, bracken to spread and scrubby birch to invade. Mr and Mrs Jack Humpheys, Commoners of Edgemount at Newbridge You are Here Home - Introduction to Ashdown Forest - Forest People - The Commoners

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