About The Commoners

The Commoners are local property-owners who have historical rights to use the land of the Common. These might include the right to graze animals, to gather turf and firewood for fires, or food for pigs. The rights were granted in perpetuity by the Lord of the Manor in olden days and are still attached to many of the dwellings around Garway Hill today.

Although these rights were once valuable - essential even - in a subsistence agricultural economy , nowadays many Commoners do not exercise them. Local farmers who are Commoners still graze their stock - sheep and ponies - on the hill, but many local residents who have become Commoners through moving into the area are not actively involved in agriculture.

This gradual shift has made a difference to the natural environment on Garway Hill. As the number of grazing animals has declined, the bracken has taken over from what once were open grassy areas. This has greatly reduced the capacity of the Common to support animal stock. Indeed if all the Commoners suddenly decided that they would exercise their rights there would be insufficient grazing available.

The Garway Hill Commoners Association meets regularly to discuss matters affecting the resources and natural environment of the Common. To safeguard the natural resources of the Hill funding has been sought from central government to implement an Environmental Management Plan. This will enable work to be done to maintain the open grassland areas so that stock can continue to use the Hill for grazing, while also encouraging rare species such as Fritillary butterflies and Great Crested Newts to flourish.

Garway Hill has been a special place for thousands of years, and continues to draw visitors today. With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, in 2006 the Commoners Association organised an archaeological survey of hill. This covered three thousand years of Garway Hill history, and included an investigation into the Iron Age settlement near the summit. Follow the link below for the full story of this event.

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Copyright © 2007 Garway Hill Commoners Association