Hearsall Common
Encyclopedia
Hearsall Common is located in Earlsdon, Coventry
in the West Midlands, central England
.
The common consists of a large grassy area with a smaller partly tarmacadamed area on one side of Hearsall Common Road, and a wooded nature reserve on the other side. It is free to enter and open to the public as of right, 24 hrs a day; however, after several years of residents complaining about itinerant or nomadic travellers using the common, an embankment was built alongside the roads to prevent vehicles from driving onto the common.
Hearsall Common has a long history of being common land going back to at least the thirteenth century. It was reassigned as recreation ground by a Coventry Corporation Act of 1927, along with other areas of common land in Coventry.
The first detailed survey of the common land
and waste ground in and around Coventry was made in 1423. These areas have been important for centuries as common land for grazing animals. In the 18th century, when Coventry was much smaller than it is now, the western areas of Hearsall Common fell within Coventry's boundaries, while the eastern areas extended far beyond them.
Hearsall Common,together with Coventry's other commons, Sowe, Whitley, Barras Heath and Radford, surrounded the city and constricted its growth. The City was the third or fourth most important city in the country during the medieval period, behind London, York and, arguably, Norwich, but the jealously guarded Freeman's rights to graze animals on the commons prevented the city from expanding into these areas and growing. This tight constraint on growth is thought to be the reason why Birmingham, which was just a village until the 17th century, became the large metropolis that is now with a population three times greater than that of Coventry.
The Coventry Corporation Act of 1927 reassigned Whitley
Common, Hearsall Common, Barras Heath, and Radford
Common as recreation grounds, and ended all the remaining traditional commoning rights on waste ground in Coventry, and the "freemen"
of the city, who had been allowed to have up to three animals grazing on the these areas since 1833, received an annual sum of £100 as compensation.
Twenty one acres of the common had been developed as sports pitches by 1954.
The section of Hearsall Common which is partly covered with rough grass and partly covered with tarmac
or gravel is used by fairs or circuses and their associated heavy vehicles. The Moscow State Circus
, which gave performances for five days in November 2004, is one of many circuses that have visited the common over the years.
The larger eastern section of the common is a large open area of mowed grass that attracts dog walkers, sunbathers, kite flyers. and by local children to play football. On the north side of the road near to the woods there is a cycle speedway track that is used Coventry Cycle Speedway Club http://www.coventry-cycle-speedway.co.uk for competitions.
Recently the Earlsdon Festival moved from being based predominantly in Earlsdon Street to the common. The festival usually takes place on the May Day bank holiday weekend.
After a lot of rain in the summer of 2007, the Donkey Derby which was scheduled to take place in the War Memorial Park, Coventry
was held at Hearsall Common.
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Frank Whittle
, the aerospace engineer and jet pioneer, was born in Earlsdon, and the house in Newcombe Road that he grew up in, which has a commemorative plaque on it, is about half a mile from the common. He was apparently inspired to pursue a career in engineering after seeing an aircraft land on Hearsall Common in 1916, from which grew the urban myth that the aircraft blew his hat off and this in particular inspired him, as a young boy, to become involved in aeronautics
. A plaque on the common alludes to this story.
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
in the West Midlands, central England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The common consists of a large grassy area with a smaller partly tarmacadamed area on one side of Hearsall Common Road, and a wooded nature reserve on the other side. It is free to enter and open to the public as of right, 24 hrs a day; however, after several years of residents complaining about itinerant or nomadic travellers using the common, an embankment was built alongside the roads to prevent vehicles from driving onto the common.
Hearsall Common has a long history of being common land going back to at least the thirteenth century. It was reassigned as recreation ground by a Coventry Corporation Act of 1927, along with other areas of common land in Coventry.
History
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
and waste ground in and around Coventry was made in 1423. These areas have been important for centuries as common land for grazing animals. In the 18th century, when Coventry was much smaller than it is now, the western areas of Hearsall Common fell within Coventry's boundaries, while the eastern areas extended far beyond them.
Hearsall Common,together with Coventry's other commons, Sowe, Whitley, Barras Heath and Radford, surrounded the city and constricted its growth. The City was the third or fourth most important city in the country during the medieval period, behind London, York and, arguably, Norwich, but the jealously guarded Freeman's rights to graze animals on the commons prevented the city from expanding into these areas and growing. This tight constraint on growth is thought to be the reason why Birmingham, which was just a village until the 17th century, became the large metropolis that is now with a population three times greater than that of Coventry.
The Coventry Corporation Act of 1927 reassigned Whitley
Whitley
-Places:United Kingdom*Whitley Bay, town in Tyne and Wear *Whitley, Berkshire, suburb of Reading*Whitley, Cheshire, village near Warrington*Whitley, Coventry, suburb of Coventry...
Common, Hearsall Common, Barras Heath, and Radford
Radford, Coventry
Radford is a suburb and electoral ward of Coventry, located approximately 2 miles north of Coventry city centre. It is covered by the Coventry North West constituency.-Geography:...
Common as recreation grounds, and ended all the remaining traditional commoning rights on waste ground in Coventry, and the "freemen"
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the city, who had been allowed to have up to three animals grazing on the these areas since 1833, received an annual sum of £100 as compensation.
Twenty one acres of the common had been developed as sports pitches by 1954.
Uses
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...
or gravel is used by fairs or circuses and their associated heavy vehicles. The Moscow State Circus
Moscow State Circus
The title “Moscow State Circus” is used for a variety of circuses. Most commonly, it refers to one of the two circus buildings in Moscow, the “” and the “Bolshoi Circus” , or to traveling shows which may or may not be directly related to Russia.The Russian Circus rose to world acclaim during the...
, which gave performances for five days in November 2004, is one of many circuses that have visited the common over the years.
The larger eastern section of the common is a large open area of mowed grass that attracts dog walkers, sunbathers, kite flyers. and by local children to play football. On the north side of the road near to the woods there is a cycle speedway track that is used Coventry Cycle Speedway Club http://www.coventry-cycle-speedway.co.uk for competitions.
Recently the Earlsdon Festival moved from being based predominantly in Earlsdon Street to the common. The festival usually takes place on the May Day bank holiday weekend.
After a lot of rain in the summer of 2007, the Donkey Derby which was scheduled to take place in the War Memorial Park, Coventry
War Memorial Park, Coventry
The War Memorial Park is a large park of about 48.5 hectares situated in southern Coventry. The park was opened in July 1921 as a tribute to the 2,587 Coventrians who died between 1914 and 1918 fighting in the First World War...
was held at Hearsall Common.
Frank Whittle
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
, the aerospace engineer and jet pioneer, was born in Earlsdon, and the house in Newcombe Road that he grew up in, which has a commemorative plaque on it, is about half a mile from the common. He was apparently inspired to pursue a career in engineering after seeing an aircraft land on Hearsall Common in 1916, from which grew the urban myth that the aircraft blew his hat off and this in particular inspired him, as a young boy, to become involved in aeronautics
Aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
. A plaque on the common alludes to this story.